This photo was taken in Assisi, Italy outside a little church called Santa Maria sopra Minerva. The church was built at the site of a temple dedicated to the Roman goddess, Minerva. You can still see the ancient columns of the temple. The site is now dedicated to Our Lady. As I walked up the street, I saw this nun coming down the steps and thought it would make a great picture. I did not see the man in the shadows until later. There is lots of interest in this photo.
Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you. "You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men. "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. ~ Matthew 5:1-16
Thanks for posting this picture. I was reading Goethe's account of his travels in Italy, and one of the stops is at this temple in Assisi (which interests him more than the gothic style of the church to Saint Francis, since he saw plenty of gothic architecture in Germany, and he was anxious to see ancient Roman architecture). He makes particular mention of the way that the pillars appear from the street level to be set on pedestals, but in fact they sit on the level of the temple itself, the apparent pedestals being the parts of the base that were not cut out to make stairs. Since the edition I'm reading has no pictures, I have to rely upon the internet for illustrations, and this photograph, which you took for entirely different (and equally interesting) reasons, shows this aspect of the architecture very well.
ReplyDeleteYes, striking observation.
ReplyDeleteYes, striking observation.
ReplyDelete