Jess 2-6-08

Ciao ciao!

Another field trip today. It was fantastic. I'm really soaking all this history in, and I'm so glad I switched into Marcello Bellini's class. It seems our little school is more prestigious than it might appear... Marcello is apparently the expert on the (in)famous Medici family. He wrote the book on the chapel of the Medici home and gave a eulogy/speech last year at the funeral of the last Medici. So I'm getting the cream of the crop when it comes to learning about Medici Renaissance history, its seems.

Anyway, we went to San Lorenzo, one of the oldest churches in the town (and the oldest cathedral, I believe), which apparently was the unofficial personal church of the Medici family. And you can see why, since their family and personal emblems appear five times on the ceiling alone, on all the doors, on the floor, above all of the hanging lights, in the sacristy, the library, the monastery, the door handles, the garden plants, the gates, the frescoes, and a huge stone one above the main entry door. Did I mention 49 members of the Medici family are buried in the church? Including Cosimo Vecchio (who brought them to power), directly below the altar inside the main support for the floor.

While being inundated with Medici emblems and symbols and knowledge, I started to think they are rather like the "Secret Mickeys" in Disneyworld. You turn around and go "Oh look! I found an emblem!" hidden inside of some door handle or inlaid wood in a chair. It's half exciting and half repulsive to find one, due to the utter gall and ostentatiousness of having your personal mark all over a holy place. I mean really, can you imagine someone doing that today?

So after that I resisted buying pretty Italian clothes and shoes from a nearby store and walked back to the school to spend some extra studio hours working on my painting. The glass is pretty much as done as I'm going to be able to get it and I think it looks pretty good, but the paper towel, surprisingly, is giving me a harder time. I can't seem to get the proportions right and the stupid little indents in it are driving me crazy. I think, though, that the third time will be the charm, and I've yet again outlined where the marks will go. It appears, right now at least, to be more accurate.

So to follow Bill I'll outline my classes as well, since our families are arriving in just a week in a half! I can't believe how fast this trip is going. Here's the wrap-up of my week:

Mondays and Wednesdays:

1. Italy in the Renaissance: Medici Story, 1:00-2:30PM
2. Italiano I: The Florence Experience, 5:30-6:30PM
3. [Extra studio hours: 2:30-4:00PM when I need it]

Tuesdays and Thursdays:

1. Gender Issues in Renaissance Art, 12:00-1:30PM
2. Beginning Oil Painting, 2:00-5:00PM
3. Italiano I: The Florence Experience 5:30-6:30PM

So Tues/Thurs is my busiest day, but also the most fun since I love my painting class. I don't have any Friday trips like Bill does, since my classes take our lessons "outside" or rather "on site." It's a great way to see the city, and the tour is really interesting, of course, since my professors are scholars so they can provide more detail about the details, haha.

Well, that's it for now :) Can't wait for next week! Thank you all for your emails and comments!