Viva Italia - Day 7 - Florence and Milan

[This is a post by David]

Today was an amazing day. We split off from the choir group and began a little tour of our own. We wanted to be sure to make it to the Accademia dell'Arte where Michelangelo's David is kept. Michelangelo was a painter (Sistine Chapel) and an architect (the dome of St. Peter's Basilica), but he made it clear that his passion was in sculpture. I think the David is his proof.

--- Side note on my thoughts at the David

When I look at the sculpture, what I notice first is the life-like detail. Kristin whispered to me as we admired it together, "Look at his stomach. It looks like it should be moving while he breathes." Michelangelo put definition into every muscle beneath the skin. He added veins on the arm that hangs, but not on the one bent up, probably because that's the way gravity works on blood. You can tell that his jaw is slightly clenched because of a trace of muscles raising the skin just by the ears. His expression in David's face shows an absence of fear and a determination to fight for God.

The details make it beautiful and awe inspiring, but for me its magnificence stems from other ingredients. Many artists had chosen David as a subject of sculpture before, but they had always included Goliath in the scene. Michelangelo took out the giant and instead made David a giant of 17 feet. In the practice of high renaissance art, Michelangelo portrays the young David not during, or after the fight, but only moments before. And I think there is a message to be found in that choice. His stance is unusual for someone about to defeat the undefeatable. He stands with his weight on his right foot, his left foot gently bent resting on a slope in the rock. He doesn't even face the giant head on, but looks at him sideways over his left shoulder. His sling is not set at ready in front of him, but hangs over his shoulder, down his back and rests in his other hand, rock in place. His face expresses righteous indignation for an enemy to God's people, but not exaggerated fury or thirst for victory. We read of his faith in 1 Samuel 17: "Who is this... Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?" Michelangelo put this confidence and faith in God's power into his David.

I have faced similar spiritual giants in my life and have been presented with the choice to proceed with faith in God's power to make me strong, or to retreat in fear that God will not come to my aid. David said, "[The Lord] will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine," and the Lord did. Why not us then?

--- Back to the DB+KB Love Tour

Il Dumo di Firenze

We finished our tour of Florence with a stop at the Cathedral. I haven't seen all of the great Catholic churches, but for now I want to say that the outside decor of this one is more beautiful than any other. The Milan Duomo comes in a close second place. I hear that others like London's St. Paul and Paris' Notre Dame are amazing too. I hope I can get around to visiting those someday. (Note from Kristin - he's seen these churches, but can't remember it.)

After our visit to the Florence Cathedral, we took a train to Milan and visited one of my new most favoritest musical sites, La Scala Opera House. We bought a ticket to walk through its museum, but the best part was when we stepped out onto one of the upper-level box seats and looked out into the theater! And what's even better, there was an opera rehearsal going on of Verdi's Falstaff. Just for everyone's future reference, my operatic masterpieces will be performed there. You're invited in advance. I might go too.

My idol - Puccini

 

La Scala

My favorite opera - La Boheme

Outside La Scala

After La Scala, we checked out the Milan Duomo, which is a full gothic-style church with thousands of tiny details added to its overall outside appearance. Inside there are enormous pillars that cause you to look all the way up, and when you do, you see the vaulted ceilings that come together in various points. The windows are tall beyond belief and are decorated in unbelievably colorful stained-glass scenes of the life of Christ and stories from the Holy Bible. The church is enormous (but it doesn't even come close to the size of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome).

Where's Waldo??

 

All in all... WE JUST WENT TO ITALY! See you soon USA.