Tivoli

Today Marcia and I went to the Villa d'Esate at Tivoli, yes the Tivoli gardens of Italy and they were more that I could have imagined. Fountains, fountains everywhere from the glorious to the strange. The gardens and their fountains were the personal projects of various Cardinals d'Esate in the days when being a Cardinal had virtually nothing to do with religion. This estate was the cultural retiring place for these Cardinals and their artistic friends. The place now belongs to the State of Italy and is open to the public and is a glorious legacy. I jst cannot imagine anyone today having the vision, imagination and the money to produce a place like this.

There were place of quiet and rest.

Huge gradious fountains that delighted - and also played music. Above this fountain was the organ fountain.
Views across to Rome and the Lazio plain.

And of course the famous 100 fountain in which I think there is more than a 100 fountains,

EAch of them with a differently carved head.

If ever you get to Italy, this place is one of the top five to visit.

Farewell to the group

The group left, mostly, on Tuesday. On Sunday we had a reflection day, Monday was free for all to go around Rome but on Monday evening we had, as a farewell meal, an indoor picnic, the weather was just too cool. This has been an incredible June, weatherwise.
The picnic was the time for frivolity - and Marcia, Karen and I were to be the brunt of it. Sung to a "A few of my favorite things.." we heard a summary of their time in Rome. Then we were given an Awards each for our work. Amongst the reasons for mine were
"whereas Kym has discoverd not only the best beer and gelato stops in Rome, but also the finest WC's money can't buy.
Whereas Kym has begun teaching us a second language: we shall not 'spit the dummy' and we shall look for 'powerpoints' in the wall instead of on the computer, and we shall get money from 'a hole in the wall'.
The Americans did find the Australian way with expressions both interesting and bemusing at times.
Then Sr Julian, the Uganda sister brought forward a small choir who did a 'word song' of thanks. I have never heard anythng quite like this. Dylan Thomas' choruses in Under Milkwood are the closest I have heard and they are very simple compared to this complex song. It was done according to a Ugandan rhythm, intertwinning and flowing. As they sang she gave us each a large card of thanks along with a gift. It was entrancing. She also sang and drummed her favorite hymn Psalm 133 - How good and how pleasant it is when people live it unity. A very fitting end to the time together.
Next day we farewelled them and since then have packed up, written reports, thanked the various Casa sisters for their work etc etc. We still have another week here. Today we go to Norcia, St Benedict's birth place and stay overnight: a farewell to that place. Then we will take time to see those parts of Rome we have never had time for...and hopefully I'll do a few more posts on this blog.

My apologies for being so poor on this blog for the last week or so. Lofe has been very full and I must admit that by this time in the program I am begining to flag. I also had to revamp some of my material on Women's monastic history - I had just too much for it to make sense easily so I had to work out how to condense the material and still have it useful for the sisters.

In the midst of all this we still had our outings. Last week we went to Subiaco, for a day's retreat. We had tried doing this for the last two years. The first year was far too cold for prayer and the next year there were jack hammers on the cliffs outside. This year perfect. I loved comparing the deep dark interiority of St Benedict's cave with the glorious sunshine and freedom of the hills and valleys outside. My mediation was to watch the swallows swirling and dancing on the air in the sunlight and know that God wants us to dance and swirl in his love. We were able to climb above the Cave area to the place where Romanus must lave let down the food to Benedict when he lived in the cave. So little would have changed, except now that the Salesians Sisters run a retreat centre, where I hope one day to have a few days retreat.

The day after Subiaco we had the three days break in the program for the sisters to see other parts of Italy. We three staff - Karen, Marcia and I went to Siena for that time. I had always wanted to see where Catherine of Siena lived. Walking the streets in the very early morning was a great insight into why she acted so strangely in her life: in the close society of those close streets it would have been so difficult for anyone, let alone a young girl to have followed a different calling other than what had been planned for her.

I liked Siena but did not find Catherine well served by the artworks at her sights. The Basilica of San Domenico - her parish church - was like a barn filled with bad examples of 18th century Mannerism and excutible late 20 th cnetury modern art. The area of her house was quiet and peaceful - when one was allowed in. I arrived too late for early morning Mass, decided to stay to pray and was shortly ushered out.

Later that day Marcia and I did a 5 hours bus trip. Wonderful, wonderful , wonderful. First we were taken to the lovely Chianti in Catellingo town, an old beautiful village around which we could wander. Then we went to a winery that produced excellent Chianti Classico wine for a wine and cheese tasting. We were taught how to taste wine, through a range of 5 fine wines and 3 marvellous percorinos. Even though we had only small amounts of each I came out feeling satiated!!! Then we went on to the town of San Gimingano with its 14 dramatic towers in which the wealthy of the medieval period lived. They were abou 10 stories high and the kitchen was on the top floor for fear of fires. They must have had strong legs in those days.

Siena was hosting a major art exhibition of its works from the Early Renassiance with pieces brought 'home' from around the world - even from Melbourne. This exhibition was held across a number of sites and in the two days I had I could not get to them all. Much as I enjoyed it there was only so much I could appreciate. I find with art that I get full and can't take in anymore. YEt this does not happen with nature. This summer is glorious, after a wet, wet winter and a cool, wet spring, the summer is mild enough for glorious greens and radiant flowers.

Everywhere looks lush. The farming areas particularly look so fruitful. I wonder if the farming community has the same sense of bouyancy the Qld farmers out west get after a good wet season. In the next few days we are home for reflection so I hope to have time to catch on on this blog.

St John Lateran

Yesterday we went to St John Lateran, the mother of all churches - and my favourite of the Papal churches. I like its space, light, quiet and the fact that the Baroque and Rococco were never allowed to completely take over inside the Church. Down both sides of the nave are large statues of the Apostles which seem to compliment each other. The Lateran is also 'the' parish church of Rome, famous for its baptistry. Below is the building, the site of which dates back to the 4 century. In the early church baptism in Rome was by partial immersion. The catechumens would process out to this building during the Easter Vigil.

Then in a large round pool, that the outer section in this picture is built on, they would kneel and have the water poured over them, have their clothes change to white and process back into the Vigil. AS the centuries went on the ceremony was truncated and the large font was used. Nowaday the little stand in front holds a dish the size of a saucer and water is sprinkled on the child. How sad that is such an ancient building resplendent with all the symbolism of baptism and with such a font the cermony could not have been done in a more proper manner. I don't know why it is not. YEsterday was obviously the Baptism Saturday of Rome. The building was awash with full of families for baptisms.

And it true Italian style they did it beautifully. Below is proud Nonna, daughter and her three children. There must have been a series of ceremonies that morning. Three of the others watched some baptisms in the central space, while in a side chapel at least 5 baptisms took place during Mass. This family were thrilled to have us oh and ah over the baby and children.

After the baptistry we went into the cloister of St John Lateran, one of the rare medieveal buildings in Rome. Roman buldings are like a series of layers and as a new layer was built the architects and builders had no qualms about taking material and artifacts from earlier buldings. Rome was not wealthy during the medieval period, at least not like during the Rennaisance and beyond. Few significant buildings went up and later builders would often destroy some of those for the current project. But these glorious cloisters survived. The central well is 9th century. Iamgine the calm in this place.

The work of the cloister was that of a father and son. Some of us spent over 2 hours here and we could have spent even more and had more to see. Each of the pillars is beautifully carved. There is variety in the style of columns, the mosaics are of red, green and gold primarily, the patterning called Cosmati work. Above this is the guttering with monster mouths for the spouts.

The glory is not only in the detail but also in the calm and quiet of this area. Each of the pillars seem to have a different pattern.

Below is a poor box. Note the extraordinary clasp - they obviousy had thieves on the poor boxes even in those days.

Today we are having a reflection day. Being the Feast of the Body and Blood it was most welcome and for the next two days we have lectures. Given how many churches we saw in the last few days I think all are ready for a few days at home.

Oh, oh Umbria yet again

Snow, yes, we saw snow on the way through Umbria!! The first to see it was Marie, a Good Sam sister from Kiribati, the second was me. The Americans, of course, pooh, poohed us saying that snow on the mountain tops 70 kms away doesn't count but I think it does because it make the air cold.
Yesterday we went to Norcia the birthplace of Sts Benedict and his sister Scholastica. It is such a gloriously beautiful area. All the way up, the Flanders poppies and the broom delighted up and then in the valley around Norcia the flowering rape seed made a beautiful show. A Statue of St Benedict dominates the town square. Benedict is certainly owned as the favourite son of the town.

Here some of our group are waiting below the statue for the church to open.

The most famous industry is turning pig and boar into every imaginable form of salami and cured meats. The boars heads decorating the shops are the stuff of legend.

Before we got to Norcia we visited the ancient abbey of San Eutizio which is gradually being restored. I find the details of this building wonderful. Even a windowsill is a work of art giving the eye much to delight in and the mind much to ponder with the way imagery is used.

THis church window below uses the iconography of the four evangelists so well.

The purpose of our visit here was to visit the place where Benedict and Scholastica were born. This picture below is from the inside lid of the voting box used by the town council in the 15th or 16th century. I have often studied this picture in its details and it shows a depth of emotion in the faces and hands. Anyone who would like better version just let me know and I'll send you the file.

We prayed at the crypt below the church in Norcia. The atmosphere here is wonderful.

Later we went to the church of St Scholastica, an exceedingly run down church out at the cementery. Here in what was the old sacristy is the a most beautiful statue of St Scholastica. I think all of us thought this the bes statue of her we have seen. The face and hands are so life like I almost expected her to speak.

Everything yesterday we went well and we even left Norcia on time. But on the way home we had to do a detour. There had been a truck accident further down the highway and all high trucks and buses had to go back and come in through Terni, an industrial town. Never, ever do Terni in peak hour. It took us over half an hour to go about 300m. We eventually got home 2 hours late - at 8.30. It was the bus driver we felt sorry for as we had started out at 6.00 am. I think he thought he was getting home early. The free and frank conversation he had with the police advising him to turn around made me think that he was thought he was getting home early enough for the soccer on TV. But we like Georgio. We had him for two of our trips last year and we so impressed we made a fuss about how good he was with the bus company. So we were pleased to see him again and hope he takes us to Subiaco next week.

2nd June 2010

The weather continues cool here. It is already the second day of summer and I am in a heavy cardigan - not one I bought with me but loant by the Tutzing sisters. How it was made is a sweet story. Sr Matilda's mother developed Alzheimers but still remembered how to knit. In fact she was happy while knitting. She used only one pattern and as she got older (she had Alzheimers for 10 years) the pattern got smaller and smaller. At first they supplied her with wool for the Tutzing Sisters so her black, white or cream cardigans can be seen around the world. Then the family supplied her with coloured wool and gave the cardigans away to needy people. During the Bosnian war she was even supplying the needy there even though she probably didn't even know if there was a war on. Even I am happy in her handiwork.
Last Sunday Abbot Michael Kelly from Arcadia in Sydney celebrated Eucharist with us and then came with us to the Basilica of Mary Major, one of the Papal churches. Begun in the late 4th century it has exceptional frescoes from early times and exceptional examples of most art work since. Ah our plans were altered by the serendipity that is at work on our program this year. Instead of being engrossed in ancient art, we experienced the modern spirituality of an expat community. Every 10 years the Philippino communites of Rome come together on the Feast of the Trinity and have a parade through the streets of Rome followoing a Filipino Madonna and Child. Each community is led by an arch of flowers and magnificently dressed members of their community.

Here you see a procession of young girls coming into the Basilica The little girls below obviously enjoyed the attention.

Look at the confident pose of the little girl on the right.

By the time all were in we could hardly get to see the usual art works but the festival experience and prayer more than compensated for that.

After St Mary's we went to the Chruch of St Prassede an early woman saint. There an ex zabbot general of the Vallombrosian Benedictines came us a talk on the Church while Michael translated. this Chruch has some of the best and earliest mosaics in Rome. The golden glow in the picture below is the reflection off the gold work in the mosaic.

Tomorrow we go to Norcia, in glorious Umbria. The only snag is that the high is to be 11C!!