on Advent eve

This evening, as I was walking back to my hotel just outside the historic centre of Florence (it's a hard life, but someone has to do it :) ) I came across a very ordinary looking church. I probably wouldn't have given it a second glance had it not been for the numerous teenagers sat on the steps. Those steps are obviously a regular meeting place and in the air you could sense all the joy and angst of teenage. I noticed lights on in the church and carefully picked my way through the kids to have a look through the glass doors. In fact the doors were open and folk inside were viewing Advent displays. I went in to look. From the simple purple drape  leading from the scriptures to the wonderful Nativity scene with it's rural Italian setting   the last few days began to make sense.

I found Rome very hard work - not just because I covered so much of it on foot – but because I was disappointed in most of the sights. That’s nothing new, I nearly always find myself underwhelmed by places that are reputed to be awesome. (even Machu Picchu failed to do it for me, so there is little hope).

I did however enjoy my visit to the Vatican Museum, just not the bits I was supposed to find exciting. I saw more marble busts and statues than ever I desired and will be glad never to see another (damn, I'm going to Greece soon - still they can't have any left can they, surely all theirs are in the Vatican! ) . Admittedly there was a good one by some guy, Michelsomething I think he was called   in the big church next door, but that was a bit of an exception.  All the way through

the museum on the long route which visited every nook and cranny there were enticing signs flagging up what was to come next and highlighting the ultimate destination - the Sistine Chapel. Inevitably the destination failed to impress me - at least in part because of the crowds and the incessant announcements not to take photos, but maybe because I was supposed to like it and so didn’t on principle.

However on the way through the museum I had lingered in two particular areas, both of which others seemed to be rushing by - one filled with artifacts from Bronze Age Italy - many domestic implements, some ceremonial items, a bed and a chair which fascinated me and a chariot (heavily rebuilt!). The other was the series of contemporary art galleries. In both places it was the simplicity and ordinariness of the exhibits which struck me. Given the many representations of Madonna and Child that adorn the walls, it was the Mattisse take which stopped me in my tracks. It is so simple, so clever  (and much bigger than I expected). 

My visit to the Uffizi this afternoon began with a moment of panic, the first space was full of marble statues. However I soon calmed down and a light began to dawn (note the good Advent imagery there!) as I looked at paintings from the c.15 the and c.16^th. The classical images of Madonna and Bambino, usually surrounded  by adoring shepherds or saints,  confused me at first with their references back to iconography – but as I began to appreciate them as images set against contemporary backgrounds and in places known by the artists, I appreciated their real effort  to bring to life the biblical narrative and relate it to the age.

And of course that’s all I want to do in the course of the next few weeks! So who are the contemporary saints and shepherds I can put into pictures?

And, where were the real signs of Advent at that church?. Inside in the beautiful displays or outside in the as yet unlived hopes and fears of the young folk outside?