Rev. John F. Gagnier
35th
Anniversary
Trip to Italy April 22
– May 3, 2013
Our first stop was Milan where we
viewed the painting of The Last Supper
by Leonardo DaVinci, which actually measures 15 by 29 feet. The painting is a mural
in the former dining room of a convent. The room is climate controlled. Small
groups view the painting for 15 minutes by advance reservation. It is not
allowed to take pictures. The image below is from the Internet. Because the
painting was done with oil paint and not wet plaster called a fresco, it began
to deteriorate soon after it was completed in 1498. The Last Supper
specifically portrays the reaction given by each apostle when Jesus said one of
them would betray him. All twelve apostles have different reactions to the
news, with various degrees of anger and shock. The names of the apostles were
determined from manuscripts of DaVinci found in the nineteenth century. The
painting underwent restoration from 1978 to 1999.
From left to right,
they are identified as follows:
Bartholomew, James, son of Alphaeus and Andrew form a group of three, all are
surprised. Judas Iscariot, Peter and John form another group of three. Judas is
wearing green and blue and is in shadow, looking rather withdrawn and taken
aback by the sudden revelation of his plan. He is clutching a small bag,
perhaps signifying the silver given to him as payment to betray Jesus, or
perhaps a reference to his role within the 12 disciples as treasurer. He is
also tipping over the salt shaker. This may be related to the near-Eastern
expression to "betray the salt" meaning to betray one's Master. He is
the only person to have his elbow on the table and his head is also
horizontally the lowest of anyone in the painting. Peter looks angry and is
holding a knife pointed away from Christ, perhaps foreshadowing his violent
reaction in Gethsemane during Jesus' arrest. The youngest apostle, John,
appears to swoon. Jesus. Apostle Thomas, James the Greater and Philip are the
next group of three. Thomas is clearly upset; James the Greater looks stunned,
with his arms in the air. Meanwhile, Philip appears to be requesting some
explanation. Matthew, Jude Thaddeus and Simon the Zealot are the final group of
three. Both Jude Thaddeus and Matthew are turned toward Simon, perhaps to find
out if he has any answer to their initial questions.
A “living statue” of Leonardo DaVinci.
We also visited the
Cathedral in Milan.
We took a “water-taxi”
to Venice.
After settling into our Padua hotel,
we went to Venice, birthplace of priest and composer, Antonio Vivaldi. Antonio
Vivaldi (1678-1741) was baptized immediately after his birth at his home by the
midwife, which led to a belief that his life was somehow in danger. Though not
known for certain, the immediate baptism was most likely due either to his poor
health or to an earthquake that shook the city that day. Vivaldi's official
ceremony at church took place two months later.
Venice: a poster for
the museum.
Venice: a Greek
Orthodox church: San
Giorgio dei Greci : Saint George of the Greeks
Carnival masks are on
sale all over Venice.
Jean Black and a view
of the “Bridge of Sighs”
The Bridge of
Sighs is a bridge located in Venice, northern Italy. The
enclosed bridge is made of white limestone and has windows with stone bars. It
passes over the Rio di Palazzo and connects the New Prison to the interrogation
rooms in the Doge's Palace. It was designed by Antoni Contino (whose uncle
Antonio da Ponte had designed the Rialto Bridge), and was built in 1602.
The view from the Bridge of Sighs was the last view of
Venice that convicts saw before their imprisonment. The bridge name, given by
Lord Byron in the 19th century, comes from the suggestion that prisoners would
sigh at their final view of beautiful Venice through the window before being
taken down to their cells. In reality, the days of inquisitions and summary
executions were over by the time the bridge was built and the cells under the
palace roof were occupied mostly by small-time criminals. In addition, little
could be seen from inside the Bridge due to the stone grills covering the
windows.
A local legend says that lovers will be granted eternal
love and bliss if they kiss on a gondola at sunset under the Bridge Of Sighs as
the bells of St Mark's Campanile toll. This legend served as a plot line for
the movie A Little Romance, featuring
Laurence Olivier and Diane Lane.
The Doge's Palace is in
Venetian Gothic style, and one of the main landmarks of the city of Venice. The
palace was the residence of the Doge of Venice, the supreme authority of the Republic of Venice,
opening as a museum in 1923. Today, it is one of the 11 museums run by the
Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia. The oldest part of the palace is the façade
overlooking the lagoon, the corners of which are decorated with 14th-century
sculptures by Filippo Calendario and
various Lombard artists such as Raverti and
Antonio Bregno. The ground floor arcade and the loggia above are decorated with
14th and 15th century capitals, some of which were replaced with copies during
the 19th century. The facade of the building is replicated at the Italy
Pavilion in Epcot at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.
Statue of St. Mark, patron of Venice,
whose relics were stolen from Egypt and placed in the Cathedral.
Interior of St. Mark’s Cathedral, Venice
Interior of St. Mark’s Cathedral
Tomb of Saint Mark the Evangelist
A view from a bridge in Venice
The famed Rialto Bridge in Venice
The
first dry crossing of the Grand Canal was a pontoon bridge built in 1181 by
Nicolò Barattieri. It was called the Ponte della
Moneta, presumably because of the mint that stood near its eastern entrance.
The development and importance of the Rialto market on the eastern bank
increased traffic on the floating bridge, so it was replaced in 1255 by a
wooden bridge. The idea of rebuilding the bridge in stone was first proposed in
1503. Several projects were considered over the following decades. In 1551, the
authorities requested proposals for the renewal of the Rialto Bridge, among
other things. Plans were offered by famous architects, such as Jacopo Sansovino,
Palladio and Vignola, but all involved a Classical approach with several
arches, which was judged inappropriate to the situation. Michelangelo also was
considered as designer of the bridge. The present stone bridge, a single span
designed by Antonio da Ponte, was finally completed in 1591. It is similar to
the wooden bridge it succeeded. Two inclined ramps lead up to a central
portico. On either side of the portico, the covered ramps carry rows of shops.
The engineering of the bridge was considered so audacious that architect
Vincenzo Scamozzi predicted future ruin. The bridge has defied its critics to
become one of the architectural icons of Venice.
A view from the Rialto Bridge
Street Musicians
Clock in the Venice town square
The Lion is the symbol of Saint Mark the Evangelist.
On the Grand Canal, the “Main Street” of Venice
Jim and Jean Parker, with Randy and Lorie Cook in the background
Father Gagnier and Jean Black in the gondola
Gondolas waiting for customers
Father Gagnier in Saint Mark’s Square, with the Basilica and bell tower
St.
Mark's Campanile is
the bell tower of St Mark's Basilica in Venice, Italy, located in the Piazza
San Marco. It is one of the most recognizable symbols of the city. The tower is
323 feet tall, and stands alone in a corner of St Mark's Square, near the front
of the basilica. It has a simple form, the bulk of which is a fluted brick
square shaft, 39 feet wide on each side 160 feet tall, above which is a loggia
surrounding the belfry, housing five bells. The belfry is topped by a cube,
alternate faces of which show the Lion of Saint Mark and the female
representation of Venice “la Giustizia: Justice”. The tower is capped by a
pyramidal spire, at the top of which sits a golden weathervane in the form of
the archangel Gabriel. The campanile reached its present form in 1514. The
current tower was reconstructed in its present form in 1912 after the collapse
of 1902. The tower is currently undergoing structural repairs in order to halt
its subsidence. The Campanile is currently undergoing a major set of building
works that are forecast to last a few years. Like many buildings in Venice, it
is built on soft ground, supported by wooden piles. Due to years of winter
flooding, the subsoil has become saturated and the campanile has begun to
subside and lean. Evidence of this can be seen in the increasing number of
cracks in the masonry. In order to stop the damage, a ring of titanium is being
built underneath the foundations of the campanile. The titanium ring will
protect the campanile from the shifting soil and ensure that the tower subsides
equally and does not lean. There is a replica of this tower at the Italy
pavilion in Epcot, Disney World, Florida.
Father Gagnier after celebrating Mass at
this altar in the Basilica.
The Doge’s Palace, the Benedictine Monastery on another nearby island
across the bay,
the Winged Lion of Venice on a pillar (symbol
of Saint Mark), and the Saint Mark statue.
Saint Anthony Basilica in Padua, Italy
A glass store in Padua.
Padua, Italy
A street in Padua
A view of Florence and its Basilica.
The
Ponte Vecchio:
“The Old Bridge” a Medieval stone closed-spandrel
segmental arch bridge over the Arno River, in Florence, Italy, noted for still
having shops built along it, as was once common. Butchers initially occupied
the shops; the present tenants are jewelers, art dealers and souvenir sellers.
The bridge consists of three segmental arches: the main arch has a span of 98
feet. The two side arches each span 88 feet. During
World War II, the Ponte Vecchio was not destroyed by retreating Germans on
August 4, 1944, unlike all other bridges in Florence. This was allegedly, according
to many locals and tour guides, because of an express order by Hitler. Access
to Ponte Vecchio was, however, obstructed by the destruction of the buildings
at both ends, which have since been rebuilt using a combination of original and
modern design.
The Ponte Vecchio “The Old Bridge” as seen
from a window in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.
A Replica of Michelangelo’s David in a park in Florence
Night view of a replica of
Michelangelo’s David in the Piazza Signorile in Florence. The original is in the
Accademia in Florence.
Dome in the Florence Cathedral
Arch in Florence
Il Porcellino: (Italian "piglet") the local
Florentine nickname for the bronze fountain of a boar. The fountain figure was
sculpted and cast by Baroque master Pietro Tacca (1577 –1640) shortly before 1634,
following a marble Italian copy of a Hellenistic marble original, at the time
in the Grand Ducal collections and today in display in the classical section of
the Uffizi Museum. The original was found in Rome and removed to Florence in
the mid-16th century by the Medici. Tacca's bronze, which has eclipsed the
Roman marble that served as model, was originally intended for the Boboli
Garden, then moved to the Mercato Nuovo in Florence, Italy; the fountain was
placed originally facing east, in via Calimala, in front of the pharmacy that
by association gained the name Farmacia del Cinghiale (Italian for
"boar"). To gain more space for market traffic it was later moved to
the side facing south, where it still stands as one of the most popular features
for tourists. The present statue is a modern copy, while Tacca's bronze is
sheltered in the new Museo Bardini in Palazzo Mozzi. Visitors to Il Porcellino
rub the boar's snout to ensure a return to Firenze, a tradition that the
English literary traveler Tobias Smollett already noted in 1766, which has kept
the snout in a state of polished sheen while the rest of the boar's body has
patinated to a dull brownish-green.
Father Gagnier with the bronze sculpture of Perseus with the head of Medusa by Benvenuto Cellini
This
statue was built in 1545 on a square base with bronze relief panels is located
in the Loggia dei Lanzi of the Piazza della Signoria in Florence, Italy. Also,
below the main sculptural event a small relief of the story of Perseus and
Andromeda resides, similar to a predella on an altarpiece. The second
Florentine duke, Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici, commissioned the work with specific
political connections to the other sculptural works in the piazza. When the
piece was revealed to the public on 27 April 1554, Michelangelo’s David,
Bandinelli’s Hercules and Cacus, and Donatello’s Judith and Holofernes were
already erected in the piazza. The subject matter of the work is the
mythological story of Perseus beheading Medusa. Medusa was an ugly-faced woman
whose hair was turned to snakes and anyone that looked at her was turned to
stone. Perseus stands naked except for a sash and winged sandals, triumphant on
top of the body of Medusa with her snaky head in his raised hand. The body of
Medusa spews blood from her severed neck. The bronze sculpture and Medusa’s
head turns men to stone and is appropriately surrounded by three huge marble
statues of men: Hercules, David and later Neptune. Cellini breathed new life
into the piazza through his new use of bronze in Perseus and the head of Medusa
and the motifs he used to respond to the previous sculpture in the piazza.
Fountain and Statue of Neptune in the Piazza della Signoria in Florence
In
1537, in Florence, Cosimo I de' Medici, who had become ruler of the city at the
age of only 17, decided to launch a program of aqueduct and fountain building.
The city had previously gotten all its drinking water from wells and reservoirs
of rain water, which meant that there was little water or water pressure to run
fountains. Cosimo built an aqueduct large enough for the first
continually-running fountain in Florence, the Fountain of Neptune in the Piazza
della Signoria (1560–1567). This fountain featured an enormous white marble
statue of Neptune, resembling Cosimo, by sculptor Bartolomeo Ammannati. Under
the Medicis, fountains were not just sources of water, but advertisements of
the power and benevolence of the city's rulers. They became central elements
not only of city squares, but of the new Italian Renaissance garden.
Under the flag of Siena, Father Gagnier gets the brass ring!
Cathedral at Siena
Interior of Cathedral at Siena
Dome of Cathedral at Siena
Front of Cathedral at Siena
Siena City Gate
Countryside around Siena
Town of San Gimignano
The Leaning Tower of Pisa
The Cathedral at Pisa and the Leaning Tower
One of the Five Towns of the Cinque Terre “Five Lands”
The
Cinque Terre is a rugged portion of coast on the Italian Riviera. It is in the
Liguria region of Italy, to the west of the city of La Spezia. "The Five
Lands" is composed of five villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza,
Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. The coastline, the five villages, and the
surrounding hillsides are all part of the Cinque Terre National Park and are a
UNESCO World Heritage Site. Over the centuries, people have carefully built
terraces on the rugged, steep landscape right up to the cliffs that overlook
the sea. Part of its charm is the lack of visible corporate development. Paths,
trains and boats connect the villages, and cars cannot reach them from the
outside. The Cinque Terre area is a very popular tourist destination. There are
few roads into the Cinque Terre towns that are accessible by car, and the one
into Vernazza in particular is open to a parking area leading to a 1/2 mile
walk to town after the October 2011 storm damage. It is best to plan not to
travel by car at all but to park at La Spezia, for instance, and take the
trains.
Local
trains from La Spezia to Genova and the rest of the region's network connect
the "five lands". Intercity trains also connect the Cinque Terre to
Milan, Rome, Turin and Tuscany. The tracks are mostly in tunnels between
Riomaggiore and Monterosso. A passenger ferry runs between the five villages,
except Corniglia. The ferry enters Cinque Terre from Genova's Old Harbour and
La Spezia, Lerici, or Porto Venere. A walking trail, known as Sentiero Azzurro
("Light Blue Trail"), connects the five villages. The trail from
Riomaggiore to Manarola is called the Via Dell'Amore ("Love Walk")
and is wheelchair-friendly. The stretch from Manarola to Corniglia is the
easiest to hike, although the main trail into Corniglia finishes with a climb
of 368 steps.
Sunday April 28: Father Gagnier on his 35th Anniversary at
Cinque Terre during the long hike
The Mediterranean Sea and one of the five towns
The Mediterranean Sea
Another view during the hike
One of the five towns of Cinque Terre
Jim Allen at Cinque Terre
At the end of the Cinque Terre hike
On a wet anniversary day, Father Gagnier encounters the Mediterranean
Sea.
A church in Cinque Terre
Cinque Terre – A view from the boat
Back in Florence: Father Gagnier’s Anniversary Dinner
Sunday April 28, 9:00 PM
At the entrance to the Basilica Square in Assisi
Mass in a chapel at Assisi Monday April 29
Entire group of 16 poses after the Mass at Assisi
A view of the countryside of Assisi from the Men’s Room!
A scene in Assisi
Father John Francis Gagnier with a sculpture
depicting Saint Francis of Assisi as a soldier before he devoted himself to a
life of poverty
Another similar statue of Saint Francis in front of the Basilica at
Assisi
The plaza in front of the Basilica at Assisi
The tomb of Saint Francis is above this altar in the lower level of the
Basilica.
A view inside the Basilica looking back
from the exit.
A view of the Basilica from the town looking through the arch
The Basilica and Monastery of Saint Francis of Assisi
Rome: the Circus Maximus and the Emperor’s
Palace in the background
The emperor could watch the races from his veranda. Twelve
Colosseum arenas could fit on the floor of the Circus Maximus. It accommodated
385,000 people, -a crowd the size of Woodstock.
Views of the Roman Colosseum from our bus window
Petronio clothing store near the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore:
“Saint Mary, Major”
Trevi Fountain, Rome
The
Trevi Fountain, or Fontana di Trevi in Italian, is Italy’s largest and most
famous Baroque fountain, standing 85 feet high and 65 feet across. Baroque art,
a popular European art form between 1600 and 1750, is characterized by highly
ornate and decorative art and architecture.
The Trevi Fountain was built in the 15th century to mark the ending destination
of the Aqua Virgo, the manmade channel erected in 19 B.C. that brought fresh
water to Roman bathhouses. The water comes from Salone Springs, eight miles
outside of the city, but the length of the aqueduct is about 14 miles. The
scene depicted on Trevi Fountain tells the story of how the fountain was named.
"It was a virgin shepherdess who showed the spring to soldiers seeking
water,” according a 16th-century author quoted on the website Garden Fountains.
Water flows from the mouth of the dominating figure--Neptune, god of the sea--standing
atop a shell-shaped chariot drawn by two sea horses and two gods. The horses
represent the changing mood of the sea. The larger statue on the left is a
representation of the goddess Abundance, above whom is a bas-relief depiction
of Agrippa, the son-in-law of the 19 B.C. Emperor, approving the plans for
construction of the aqueduct. On the right is the god Salubrity, topped by a
representation of the virgin directing soldiers toward the water.
Jean and John are ready to toss their coins over their shoulders.
Tossing
a coin into Trevi Fountain, according to legend, will guarantee a return trip
to Rome. The
fountain is swept daily, and the money is donated to Caritas, an Italian charity.
An estimated 3,000 euros was collected each night. The Trevi Fountain has
appeared in famous films, securing itself a place in popular culture. It can be
seen in Fellini’s “La Dolce Vita” and the 1953 Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn
movie “Roman Holiday.”
An actor dressed as a Roman Soldier
The
Fountain of the Four Rivers on the Piazza Navona by Gianlorenzo Bernini in travertine and marble.
Commissioned by Pope Innocent X, the fountain
was designed by Bernini and executed largely by his assistants from 1648-1651.
A rustic free-form rock occupies the center from which water gushes. The rock
form at the bottom has a horse, palm tree, and lion, which had to be carved on
site--and were reportedly carved by the master himself. The fountain is topped
by a restored Egyptian obelisk. The four rivers of the then-known continents
are represented by personifications.
The Church of the
Sacred Heart of Sufferance, a century-old Church in Rome with some odd
artifacts on display within its holy interior. The sizeable, ornate church is
located right on the Tiber River at 12 Lungotevere Prati. It is close
enough to that famous waterway, in fact, that you have to cross a nearby bridge
to actually get a good view of the complete façade of the church.
Saint Charles Borromeo, 1538-1584 Cardinal Archbishop of
Milan behind Saints Ambrose and Charles
Interior of the Church of Saints Ambrose and Charles
A modern controversial statue of Pope John Paul II with
the Termini train station in background
PLAQUE IN FRONT OF
THE STATUE: “Gift of the Silvana Paolini Angelucci non-profit foundation and
the artist to the city of Rome on the occasion of the beatification of His
Holiness John Paul II – May 18, 2011”
Papal Audience with Pope Francis arriving in the
Popemobile: Wednesday May 1, 2013
Pope Francis riding in the Popemobile
Pope Francis greets the crowds from the Popemobile.
We welcome a group of
pilgrims from Holy Name of Jesus Parish in Rochester, New York, USA!
The crowd at the Papal Audience, Wednesday May 1: Feast
of Saint Joseph the Worker
Remarks of Pope Francis: A society that fails to pay a fair wage or
one that seeks only personal profit is unjust and goes against God, Pope
Francis said in a May Day message Wednesday. Addressing pilgrims during his
weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square, the pontiff said work is
fundamental for dignity — it gives man "a special dignity, a personal
dignity," and men and women who work “are dignified.” But he noted many who want to work cannot,
and many more who do work are exploited.
“Not paying fairly, not giving a job because you are only looking at
balance sheets, only looking at how to make a profit — that goes against God,”
he said. “This is a burden on our conscience, because when society is organized
in such a way that not everyone has the opportunity to work, to be anointed
with the dignity of work, then there is something
wrong with that society,” he said. “It
is not right. It goes against God himself, who wanted our dignity, starting
from here.”
Francis referred directly to the collapse last week of a garment factory in
Bangladesh, which killed more than 400 employees. He expressed anger at their
salary of $50 a month. “This was the payment of these people who have died,”
the Pope said. “This is called slave labor." “How many brothers and
sisters throughout the world are in this situation because of these, economic,
social, political attitudes?” he asked, lamenting how people have become
subordinate to the profit they can offer to those in power. “What point have we come to? To the point that
we are not aware of this dignity of the person,” he said, recalling that May 1
is the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker in the Catholic Church.
Pope Francis concluded by calling on people to listen to the voice of God, as
when he spoke to Cain in the Old Testament and said: "Cain, where is your
brother?" Today, he said, God’s voice says: "Where is your brother
who has no work? Where is your brother who is subjected to slave labor?”
At the end of the Audience, Pope Francis greeted
the Bishops who were with him on the platform.
In the afternoon, our group visited the
Pontifical North American College on the Janiculum
Hill, (Gianicolo.)
We met the two Rochester seminarians who are studying there. On the left
is Peter VanLeishout, from Saint Matthew’s in Livonia
and in his fourth year. On the right is Rev. Mr. David Tedesche,
from Saint Mary of the Lake in Ontario and in his fifth year. Deacon David will
be ordained a priest at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Rochester on June 22, 2013 by
Bishop Robert Cunningham, Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Rochester.
Father Gagnier on the roof of the Pontifical North
American College: May 1, 2013
With a Swiss Guard at Saint Ann’s Gate to Vatican City
Saint Peter’s Basilica at night
The Belvedere Court of the Vatican Museums
The bronze sculpture
“Sphere Within A Sphere” by Arnoldo Pomodoro: ( A
Commentary) Blank-eyed kings, faces
chipping against the winds of time, bore through the golden orb, while some
gods speak out against it, mouth agape and words frozen. From their
perspective, the sculpture looks like the Coliseum floating within a golden
sphere. Within this spatial
configuration in the Vatican Museum’s Courtyard of the Pine Cone, the
pillared cracks in the orb imply the spectacle of gladiator battles, so that,
in conjunction with the pagan onlookers, the sculpture seems to cry out against
spectacle, against itself. The tribulations of modernity are found in the
burden of self-awareness. The sculpture also concerns the complexities of the
inside/outside binary, representing the difficulties of the modern era. The
inner side of the outer sphere is lined with teeth, just like those locking
against each other in the inner sphere, yet despite the harsh teeth rubbing
against it, the outer crust of the inner sphere is
liquid smooth. Though the jaws of the inner sphere have yet to generate a
placid world within, like a pearl budding from an oyster, patterns repeat in
time.
This is the Pine Cone referred to above.
Vatican Museum
The Laocoon Group,
the first ancient sculpture acquired for the Vatican Museum: The statue of Laocoön
and His Sons also called the Laocoön Group, is a monumental sculpture in marble
now in the Vatican Museums, Rome. The statue is attributed by the Roman author
Pliny the Elder to three sculptors from the island of Rhodes: Agesander,
Athenodoros and Polydorus. A life size work, it shows the Trojan priest Laocoön
and his sons Antiphantes and Thymbraeus being strangled by sea serpents. he statue was probably originally commissioned for the home
of a wealthy Roman. It was unearthed in 1506 near the site of the Domus Aurea
of Emperor Nero, in the vineyard of Felice De Fredis. Informed of the fact,
Pope Julius II, an enthusiastic classicist, acquired and placed it in the
Belvedere Garden at the Vatican now part of the Vatican Museums, which regard
this as the start of their history. Michelangelo was called to the site of the
unearthing of the statue immediately after its discovery. The discovery of the
Laocoön made a great impression on Italian sculptors and significantly
influenced the course of Italian Renaissance art. Michelangelo is known to have
been particularly impressed by the massive scale of the work and its sensuous
Hellenistic aesthetic, particularly its depiction of the male figures. The
influence of the Laocoön is evidenced in many of Michelangelo's later works,
such as the Rebellious Slave and the Dying Slave, created for the tomb of Pope
Julius II. The Florentine sculptor Baccio Bandinelli was commissioned to make a
copy by Pope Leo X de' Medici. Bandinelli's version, which was often copied and
distributed in small bronzes, is at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.
Bust over a doorway in the Vatican Museum
The Belvedere Torso, a favorite of
Michelangelo
Hellenistic sculpture
fragment of a male nude (5 feet 2 5/8 inches) in the Vatican Museum; the work
is signed by the Athenian sculptor Apollonius the son of Nestor and was long
thought to be a 1st-century-BC original. It is now believed that Apollonius
copied a 2nd-century original. The dynamic pose of the torso influenced the
development of the energetic figure style of Michelangelo and was subsequently
much studied by artists of the Mannerist or Late Renaissance and Baroque
periods.
Fr. Gagnier with King Tut from Egypt. Jim and Sue Allen are in the background.
A ceiling painting in the Vatican Museum. An optical illusion
makes this look like a relief statue.
A tapestry of the Resurrection of Jesus
A view of St. Peter’s from a window in the Museum
A view of the Vatican Gardens with the
Vatican Government building in the background.
The Pieta by Michelangelo in Saint Peter’s Basilica
A view down the center aisle of Saint Peter’s Basilica
The Vatican Baptismal Font in Saint Peter’s Basilica
Tomb of Pope John XXIII who reigned from 1958-1963 and
started the Second Vatican Council
An altar at Saint Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City
A plaque in Latin near one of the front doors of Saint
Peter’s Basilica reads:
“Giving honor to the
Prince of the Apostles, the Knights of Columbus in 1999,
donated generously for the
restoration to its original beauty
the atrium of the
Vatican Patriarchal Basilica.”
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
His Eminence,
Vergilio Cardinal Noe’
Archpriest of the Vatican Patriarchal Basilica
A small courtyard between the Museums and the Basilica is
dedicated to Saint Gregory the Illuminator.
On Friday February 22, 2008 Pope Benedict XVI dedicated
the courtyard with these words:
“I am pleased to recall that my venerable Predecessor
John Paul II blessed the statue of Saint Gregory the Illuminator, placed
exactly here, just a few months before his death. This great Saint, more than
17 centuries ago, made the Armenians a Christian People, rather, the first
People to officially be Christian. The conversion of the Armenians is an event
that has profoundly marked Armenian identity, not only on a personal level but
for the entire Nation. The term "Illuminator", with which this Saint,
so dear to you, is called, highlights the dual function that Saint Gregory
played in the history of Armenia's conversion. "Illuminator", in
fact, is a term in Christian usage used to indicate the passage from darkness
to the light of Christ. And truly, Christ is precisely the great Illuminator
who radiates his light on the entire lives of those who accept him and follow
him faithfully. Saint Gregory was called the Illuminator precisely because in
him the Face of the Savior was reflected in an extraordinary way.”
Back at Holy Name of Jesus Parish Saturday May 4th.