When you live in this part of the city, it can soon feel very "closed in" if you are not careful about "getting out" from time to time. All these tall buildings lining narrow lanes, most of which bulge out somewhere around the second floor, can block out a lot of light. This can be either pleasant, for example in August, when the shade and relative coolness can give you some relief from the breathtakingly humid summer heat, or rather unpleasant, for example in the middle of winter when it is already dark around five o'clock in the afternoon as it is, and you really have to bend over backwards to see what colour the sky is.
Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit, but this is just to give you an idea. It is at times like this that discovering a hidden garden or square just around the corner is a real treat.
Piazza delle Vigne is one such place. Entirely surrounded by the tiniest streets, it may come as quite a surprise if you are not expecting it. One of the alleys leading up to it is so narrow it feels like you're going to have to squeeze through the end.
Then, all of a sudden, you're through and the square just opens out in front of you, and suddenly you feel like you can breath again. On a clear sunny day, you look up and the contrast between the greyish, decadent buildings and the bright, blue, beautiful sky seems like it was always meant to be seen that way.
A cool breeze drifts across the square, while workers march up and down with wheelbarrows, bags of cement, or whatever, other people hang around the corners in small groups talking about nothing in particular, and a few sit at the tables outside a café, having a drink or just taking it all in.
Behind them is the façade of a large church, known as the Basilica delle Vigne (http://www.basilicadellevigne.it/ - unfortunately only in Italian but it will give you a better idea). The original church is thought to have been built here as far back as the Sixth century, while the oldest visible parts are the bell tower and the cloisters, dating back to the Tenth century. In an attempt to visit the cloisters, I discovered that they are occupied by the local Catholic boyscouts (apparently, the Italian branch of the scout movement started here, and subsequently developed into two distinct branches, the Catholic boyscouts and the lay boyscouts). The rest of the church has changed a lot and most of what is now visible is from the 1500s.
This sanctuary, devoted to the Madonna as many around here are, was originally built outside the city walls, and was surrounded by vineyards (hence the name: vigne = vines), although that scenario is impossible to imagine now.
The funny thing about this is that these wealthy, adventurous warrior-merchants, who sailed the seas to all corners of, well, the Mediterranean at that time, fought battles, travelled through the desert, made business deals with both the Muslim and the Christian sides, drew charts of coastlines and wrote detailed accounts of all these adventures; these same people made little pilgrimages to this sanctuary which was just outside their city walls!
Entering these churches always makes me feel a bit like I'm entering a time warp of some kind. Everything slows down, everyone is respectfully silent (or at least tries to be), and you get to see works of art that people spent incredible amounts of time working on. All this really puts things back into perspective.
And then there is the advantage that if you wish to do so, you can just sit down and be quiet for a while, and it is unlikely that anyone will disturb you.
Then, when you've taken it all in, when you feel the tension has eased off your shoulders somewhat, when you feel ready to take on the rest of the city again, you can just stand up and leave.
You can hear your own footsteps echo all the way to the door. When you get there, turn around and have one last look before you go because no matter what your beliefs, these places were built to be awe inspiring.
When you step out through the door, especially in summer, the light outside can feel almost blinding at first, and as your eyes adjust so your mind starts to return to its normal activities.
The irony in all this is that just a few metres down the nearest alley, some very "worldly" transactions are taking place pretty much all the time, at any time of day (this helps to explain at least some of the "time warp" effect). So as you are walking home, or to work, or wherever it is you are going, feeling all refreshed and relaxed, choose your immediate "path" wisely and try not to pay any intention to the voice whispering "andiamo?" from the shadows of the side alley as you walk past... it may spoil the whole experience for you.
No comments:
Post a Comment