I Spent My Last 2 Euro on Gelato and I have No Regrets (Second Impressions)

This morning, I sat on the steps by myself and enjoyed my last gelato. I know, but cannot believe, that this is my last day here in Perugia. I began to think about just how much I have grown as a person over the past 6 weeks and it is truly incredible. Then, after reading my entire blog stream, the mental growth was also obvious. Before coming on this trip, my knowledge of the Renaissance was extremely limited. I had a small background from high school history classes and then we touched on this period in Western Civilization I and Music Survey. To be completely honest, I am not sure if I could have even made a reasonable guess at the dates (ca.1350-1600 CE, for those of you who are wondering).

I am not saying that I am not an expert in the Italian Renaissance; however, I feel like I now have a pretty good grasp on the most important highlights. For philosophy, I continually practiced applying the four central concepts (humanism, individualism, secularism, and historical self-consciousness) to different works in my blogs. Just over the semester, I have a much better understanding of them also. I no longer confuse humanism and the humanities. I now understand that secularism is not a sinful concept, but instead a focus on this world. I believe strongly that Christians can have a secularist outlook, in fact they should. Christ does not want people to follow Him just so they can reserve a place in Heaven, instead He wants people to follow him because they love Him.

I had absolutely no knowledge of art before this class, thus I didn't really feel comfortable writing about it early on in the semester. However, after working with the professors and viewing a plethora of all kinds of art, I now feel comfortable analyzing it. As for music, I had a fairly extensive background before the trip because I played saxophone for four years and I also completed music survey in college. However, I never spent that much time with Renaissance music, so I definitely grew in that aspect. In my blog stream, as I became more comfortable as view as music as art, I was able to look at music in a new way. At the beginning of the semester I would just analyze the physical components of the music itself.

This course has far exceeded my expectations. In my first blog, I mainly just stated that I wanted to grow. I have definitely achieved that, as I have already been discussing. I wanted to learn in the classroom as well as outside of the classroom. I think those out of the classroom experiences have definitely been the most memorable and probably the most beneficial to me. Again, in my first blog, I expressed my excitement for getting to see in person what I usually just view in textbooks. That was amazing because I would find myself standing in front of works of art and monuments that I have seen depicted my entire life, such as The David or The Birth of Venus.

One of the most awe striking out of classroom experiences was seeing the Colosseum. Again, this is something that I have learned about my entire life and I never thought I would see in person. However, our last day in Rome we took a long and hot ride on the metro across town. I was already annoyed because I was starving, I have to have my breakfast. And then, being Rome, there were tons of people crowding around me the entire ride there. But as soon as we exited the metro building, there it was, in all its glory. Just bam. Walk out of the dark underground and you get hit by the sunlight and a larger-than-life structure that is centuries old. It was incredible.

I also see a change in my self-understanding throughout the semester. Most of the changes are small or vague, but I think the best example would have to be the blog I wrote about Plato's Allegory of the Cave. Since I have not really dealt with philosophy that much in my life, I had a lot to learn about. It also changed my understanding of the world and myself, it definitely opened my mind up. Reading and understanding the piece proved to me that I am capable of understanding philosophy. The actual content help to show me where I have come out of some caves, coming on this trip for example. It also showed me where I need to grow and try to help other people learn as well.

I would like to take this last little bit of my blog to thank some special people. Thank you to Dr. Bonner and Gardner-Webb for making this trip possible. It has provided me with some very priceless growth and knowledge. Your generosity is unreal. Thank you to my professors, Dr. Lininger and Mrs. Adkins. You guys are amazing and have facilitated my academic growth in ways that I didn't know were possible. I also see how much you care about us personally and that means more than you know. Thank you to my parents, who have supported me 100%. You guys are wonderful and I love you. Also, thank you if you are reading this, your support means so much to me.

  

Girl Talk

At some point in every girls life, they have probably sat around and talked with their girlfriends about the qualities that they want their future partner to have. They might have even gone as far as to write it down somewhere, almost like a checklist when they meet someone. As it turns out, this is not a new concept. Noblemen in the 1500s would sit around, giggle, paint each other's nails, and talk about the qualities that they would like their Courtier to have. Who knew?

But seriously, they really did do this. The Courtier by Baldassare Castiglione is a conversation between several noblemen about the qualities that their Courtier should have. They wanted the perfect leader, so they made sure that they were prepared with their checklist. Sometimes they disagreed, but essentially they came up with: military leader; impeccable character; master of: the arts, humanities, and sports. Oh, and too, he needed to be attractive: “I would have the Courtier favoured in this regard also, and endowed by nature not only with talent and beauty of person and feature, but with a certain grace and (as we say) air that shall make him at first sight pleasing and agreeable to all who see him” (75).

Sounds easy, right? Did I forget to mention that master of the arts not only means that he needs to be educated in the arts, but also be able to read music, play an instrument, draw, and paint well? The same basis goes for the humanities and sports. Okay, maybe it doesn't sound quite so easy anymore. It actually sounds like they want the Courtier to be perfect in every way, shape, and form. Not only perfect in the sense that we use today, but Plato's perfect form (which is unattainable on this earth, according to him). It makes me wonder if this list is just something they would like to aim for or if they actually expected to find a person that fit every criteria.

This was very “Renaissance” of them though, the central concepts can definitely be found in this piece. Humanism is evident: “I would have him...conversant not only with the Latin language but with the Greek, for the sake of the many different things that have been admirably written therin. Let him be well versed in the poets, and not less in the orators and historians” (76). Clearly there is an celebration of the individual because they expect the Courtier to be able to do many things and do them well. Orientation is clearly on this world and they expect the Courtier to have impeccable character for the sake of humanity and not for a reward in the afterlife. Lastly, these guys knew they were living in a ground breaking time and they needed a very special leader to guide them into increased strength.

However, I can't help but think that they were being a bit too picky. I completely understand the desire for a perfect man, don't we all? Perhaps though they should have focused their interests on the qualities that they needed the most? Sure, it would be amazing to find a perfect leader with all of these qualities, but why not just zero in on the qualities that are most importance for improving their country and protecting it? While they definitely should not settle, if they try to wait on someone who meets every criteria, they are going to turn away some great leaders and essentially never end up with a Courtier.

What is Your Opinion?

The other day, we were discussing people preoccupation with school and their particular majors. So many students with intensive programs get so sucked into achieving the perfect grade and getting to their degree that they begin to neglect everything else around them. They do not make the effort to make friends outside of their department and they neglect the ones that they do have. They disconnect with their family. They refuse to participate in any extra activities not pertaining to their major. They develop a superior attitude and forget that other people also have difficult programs. They start to make everyone around them miserable.

This is probably one of the most frustrating things to me because if your life ended tomorrow, it would not matter what your GPA was or how much you knew about education, nursing, or religion. What would matter would be how you lived your life and how you impacted others lives. As I thought about it more, I began to wonder what some of the great philosophers and men of the Renaissance would say. I believe that Pico would say that we are “constrained by no limits” and that we should not confine ourselves to one area (Oration on the Dignity of Man, 72). He would probably say that humans are of indeterminate nature and are beautiful creatures that are full of possibilities, so we should be reaching higher towards the Divine.

Plato would instruct us to kindly step out of the cave that we are living in. He would show us that there is so very much out there in the world than ourselves. And by staying in a cave where we think the world consists of ourselves and the few shadows surrounding us, is essentially limiting ourselves. After seeing that there is more to the world and expanding our minds, we would then want to do the same for others: “Let him be reminded of his first habitation, and what was wisdom in that place, and of his fellow-prisoners there; don't you think he would bless himself for the change, and pity them” (“Allegory of the Cave” from The Republic)? I think he would also say that through understanding more of the world outside of the cave would help us better understand our life within the cave (in this case our area of study).

Petrarch would probably tell us something a little different than the others. He would tell us to stick to our studies and not try to take the easy way out because it never really turns out the way you want it to. As far as the social aspect, he would probably tell us to take the advice of St. Augustine and first exam and perfect ourselves before we can take interest in other things. We must first exam ourselves and work on achieving a better relationship with God. Only then should we focus on external issues and be able to appreciate the beauty of the world along with human life.

Aristotle would, of course, advise us that there is a golden mean to everything. There is solely studying and solely socializing- neither are correct. Somewhere in there is a balance between the two and when it is found, one can better appreciate both. A perfectionist student may have to aim towards over-socializing to hit the mean. On the other hand, a socialite may have to work toward being over studious. I tend to agree with Aristotle the most because I do think there is a mean to everything and, if achieved, is a beautiful thing.

Lastly, Machiavelli would say that there is a balance, however one should focus on whatever is most beneficial. To Machiavelli, it doesn't really matter if you are making the people around you miserable: “a prince ought not to worry about a reputation for being cruel in order to keep his subjects unified and loyal” (The Prince, 284). I don't think he would have advised us to take interest in other people's lives just to help them, only to help us.

Clearly there are some conflicting opinions, in theory, between the philosophers and men of the Renaissance. However, there is still an overarching theme of balance and taking interest in the world around us. There is so much more out there in the world than the tiny sphere so many people confine themselves to. If we are able to break our of our caves, we might discover a whole new beautiful life and wonder how we even lived before.

Music and Math?

Even those who are not musicians or mathematicians know that the two subject matters are related. Well, sort of. It is much easier to find math in music than music in math (literally speaking). Music is written on stanzas of five lines, divided into different types of time measures, notes are measured by fractions, and instruments have a various number of holes to produce different sounds. All of this, even to the non-musicians, seems like common sense. Most people just don't associate music and math together because one is a fine art and the other is a science.

The part that is incredible, and almost mind blowing, is to think that pitches are also determined by math. In circa 500 BCE, Pythagoras figured out the arithmetical ratios for perfect musical intervals. This is oh about 2,400 years before calculators and he is breaking ground on mathematical concepts that we still use today. In the most simplistic form, he figured out that a 2:1 ratio will render the same pitch, only one octave up. This may seem logical, but it is actually much more complex than that. Also, as a reminder, this is 500 BCE.

In ancient Greece, music was a part of life everywhere and it was considered to be very powerful. It was to believed to be so powerful that some philosophers, such as Plato, did not believe that it should be used here in this world. Since there were no CDs or iPods in those days, the people of the Renaissance did not have much of an idea as to what music sounded like in the days of ancient Greece. All they had were some artifacts that described music and some pieces of instruments. So music of the Renaissance was not so much the rebirth of ancient Greek music, but more of the ideas of music.

The people of the Renaissance explored some with music and made huge advancements. However, it was still extremely different than most music today. Many pieces today, especially mainstream music, has no organization or control and is very open for interpretation. Music of the Renaissance was still considered art and usually followed the principals of organization. One could listen to a piece and hear the balance, unity, focal area, and dynamics. Those principals of organization are not promised in every piece created today. One of the biggest ideas of the Renaissance was control and that could definitely be found in music. Tempo was controlled and even the dynamics were not that dramatic. I doubt many people today have a “Music of the Renaissance” playlist on their iPod, but I know that if the people of the Renaissance heard our music, they wouldn't even consider it music.

Just All of the Essentials

When I was college “shopping” a few years ago, I found that any Liberal Arts foundation would stress the importance of an Liberal Arts education. I thought it sounded nice and would look great on a resume, so I bought into it. At the time, I thought that the institutes were pushing Liberal Arts so they could boost enrollment, but after completing half of my college education at a Liberal Arts institute, I have found that the Liberal Arts education really is important.

So what exactly is a Liberal Arts education? Well, in simplistic terms, it is getting a little taste of everything with, of course, a concentration in one's major. The student, no matter what major, is required to take a few English classes, a fine art, a science, a math, a history, a religion, and so on. Liberal is often thought of being opposite of conservative, but I don't think in this instance that it really means that. I believe that, in this sense, liberal means more free; to have the freedom of an open-minded education instead of being confined to one subject matter.

Liberal Arts educations are not only beneficial, but essential. Most of the time education is viewed as being skill oriented or “learning” oriented. Skill oriented educations would be the ones focused on achieving a specific degree to work a certain job, such as in the medical field, engineering, or accounting. A “learning” oriented education would be one that is much more flexible, such as psychology, religion, or philosophy. However, there should not be such a distinction between the truth because for either education to reach its full potential, the two types of learning should be combined.

All subject matters- reading, writing, arithmetic, science, fine arts, communication, history, religion, philosophy, health, and physical fitness- are intertwined together. For example, one has to master reading before they can comprehend math word problems or read about history. Also, a student must understand math before they can learn chemistry or create proportionally correct art. That is why I am so glad I chose Gardner-Webb to complete my nursing degree, instead of going to a community college. In nursing, it is important to be able read the doctor's orders and instructions for medications. In addition, we need to be able to write well to document as well as communicate with the patient, other nurses, and doctors. It is essential to be competent in math to calculate drug doses. A nurse also needs to have a great grasp on cultures and religions so they can not only respect their patients, but connect with them. It useful for the nurse to understand psychology because it helps them to better understand why their patients are acting a certain way and how to respond therapeutically to them. The nurse, of course, needs to be master of science, health, and physical fitness. The list goes on, but it is fairly obvious that it is important to incorporate these liberal arts in all types of education.

Educating the Governed

The world around us is constantly changing. Every day, new ideas are produced, old lives pass, new lives are born, better technology is invented, knowledge is gained, and mistakes are made. However, it seems that human principal remains the same throughout the ages. Niccolo Machiavelli wrote The Prince in 1513 and while I may not agree with all of his ideals, they seem to fairly represent the same government that we have today.

The Prince is a model for how Machiavelli thinks the rulers of a providence should conduct themselves. One of Machiavelli's priority suggestions for the Prince, is to maintain control of the state. The Prince should achieve this control by finding the balance between being cruel and being loved . This concept is similar to Aristotle's “means” and how there is balance to everything. I highly doubt that Aristotle would have agreed with cruelty and war, but it is the same concept. The Prince has to be cruel enough to be respected, but admirable enough to not be overthrown by the people.

This mean may have to be adjusted, though. Just an anorexic may have to aim towards gluttony to be able to achieve the mean of proper sustenance, the Prince may have to adjust his methods to maintain power of the state. According to Machiavelli, “the prince should be both feared and loved, if possible. But since it is difficult for the two to go together, it is much safer to be feared than loved, if one of the two has to be given up” (285). This is a valid point because if the prince is just loved, he becomes weak and will be overthrown by the people.

This is where many rulers make the fatal mistake of wanting to just be loved. The truth is, every one will never be pleased with the actions of a ruler. The ruler, according to Machiavelli, should be wise and cunning like a fox while being powerful like a lion. They have to be strong enough to make the best decision for their state and cannot focus on pleasing every one or pleasing the surrounding states. This principal not applies to governmental rulers, but also other rulers, such as teachers or parents. I have seen so many teachers loose compete control of their learning environment because they care more about being loved by their students than educating them. By doing so, their students do love them, but do not respect them. After this point, the teacher cannot regain respect no matter how tyrannical they act.

Machiavelli also believes the Prince should appear to be, “pious, faithful, humane, honest, religious, and to be so. But he should have his mind so prepared that when occasion requires, he is able to change to the opposite” (288). This is incredibly gilded and it is outraging to know that most of our leaders probably follow this philosophy. However, upon reading a little bit further, one realizes that it only the follower's fault for letting the leader get away with these behaviors. The majority follows blindly and sees what is pleasant to the mind. Machiavelli summarizes it perfectly, “people in general judge more with their eyes than with their minds. Everyone can see; few have understanding. Everyone sees what you seem to be; few know what you really are. And those few do not dare oppose the opinion of the many, who have the power of the state to support them” (288).

The Prince, is an opinionated and powerful novel that may not have the best strategies, but there is so much truth that should not be overlooked. This is not a novel that should be read by rulers, it is a novel that should be read by followers. It would help the system work better because the governed would be able to see how the governors work and would not be fooled so easily. When the blind lead the blind, they both fall in a ditch. But when the seeing lead the blind, they go wherever the one with sight wishes to go.

The Respectable Side of Music

The Renaissance was a great time of growth for humanity, a time where there was a huge emphasis on thought, reason, and sensory experiences. Two different aspects of sensory experiences are visual art and music. Music may be one of the most under respected art forms, especially today. However, during the Renaissance, composers such as Francesca Landini and Josquin de Prez crafted music that was so beautiful that it demanded respect. In their works, they used the same central concepts and principals of organization that writers and visuals artists used.

If Frncesca Landini's Ballata is taken for an example, the words show a huge emphasis on secularism. The entire song is about the celebration of Spring and the beauty that comes with that time of the year. The composer encourages us to stop and appreciate what present has to offer, instead of rushing around preparing for the future. There is also an element of individualism in the third stanza when it says, “In this happy time/ Everything has beauty.” This statement implies that nature is not the only beautiful thing, but also the life surrounding it.

In visual art, we talk about how it hold four principals of organization: balance, unity, focal area, and dynamics. Like visual art, music also holds these principals or the music might even be inspired by a piece of art. Josquin de Prez's Ave Maria is a great example of this. Within this beautiful motet, balance can be found not only in the music, but also in the words. The song opens with a Salutation to the Virgin, followed by 5 strophes in praise, and closed with a petition, invoking the protection of the protection of the Virgin. Unity is perfected as the voice(s) come together with the music. Unity in the words is clear, as the entire song is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The focal area of the music is definitely centered on the voice(s) and not the music. The words, again, are focused on Mary. Lastly, dynamics are dependent on the particular rendition of the song, but most of the ones I have heard tend to peak in the middle and are softer at the beginning and end.

Music in the Renaissance also increased in clarity, rhythm, and melody as time progressed. Composers learned to use text painting, which is a way of using music to bring texts and pieces of art to life through music. There was also an increasing virtuosity and versatility of the preformer and composer of music throughout this time period. The Renaissance man would be able to play an instrument or even also be able to compose music. This was truly a great time of growth for the art of music.

Masters of Illusion

I have never been a particularly good artist. When I say that, I mean that I struggle with stick figures. Today for class, we had to draw a scene from around town where two building intersect. This was already intimidating enough everything here in Italy is so beautiful, I knew that I would not be able to do the scene justice. I gave it my best anyway and pretty much slaughtered it. I especially struggled with being able to portray the idea of dimension. I knew that I needed to try to make my buildings “come off the page,” but I just couldn't really get it. Little did I know that this was actually the point of the assignment.

Apparently, painters before the Renaissance and at the beginning had the exact same problem. They wanted their paintings to look more realistic and less two dimensional. Giotto, an early Renaissance painter, was one of the first to actually capture the true essence of dimension in a realistic fashion. It just grew exponentially from there. Artists began to incorporate math into their art to achieve more and more perfect proportions. They also discovered and perfected ideas such as linear perspective and vanishing point.

We looked a painting from the Renaissance today and I thought it literally looked computer generated because it was truly that perfect. It is honestly just mind blowing to me how the painters in the 1300-1600 could not only understand these things, but portray them perfectly. I remember standing in a museum in Rome, looking up at the ceiling, literally thinking that has to be a mold in the ceiling. But it wasn't, it was a painting, intended to trick the eye. They were some of the first optical illusions and definitely the most mind blowing. They didn't have computers or algorithms to compute the dementions, they only had their minds, creativity, and raw talent.

“Goodness is simple, ill takes any shape”

“Yo, Aristotle, Imma let you finish, but I just wanted to say that Plato was the best philosopher of all time!” I suppose if Kanye West knew who either of these philosophers were, he might say something like this. They are both really awesome guys that have some important things to teach. However, I am just having a little trouble finding out why Aristotle is taking so long to say what he wants to say. The first piece that we read, Moral Virtue: The Doctrine of the Mean, was great. However, out of all four pages (in a very small font) I basically got one point: moderation is key. Could he of not just said that and saved a little ink and parchment?

As harsh as I am being on Aristotle right now, he really did have some very valid points. Moderation truly is key and the world would probably be a much better place if people practiced this idea. He starts off by explaining what he means by mean, “By an equal or fair amount I understand a mean amount, or one that lies between excess and deficiency” (359). Aristotle then explains that there are absolute means, where the mean is always the same, and there are also more commonly relative means, where the mean depends of the person/circumstance. He gives the example of food: a man should not take too much, but enough to nourish himself. However, what may be sufficient for one man may be too much for another, or too little for a third man. For an example of circumstance, he talks about spending money: “the extravagant person exceeds in spending, but falls short in taking; while the stingy man exceeds in taking, but falls short in spending” (361-362).

Aristotle explains that there is one last category, the one where there is no mean because the action is wrong no matter what. For example, there is no moderation to “malevolence, shamelessness, envy, and, among acts, adultery, theft, [and] murder” (361). He tells that that it would be just crazy to say that there is moderation in these horrible acts, because even just a little adultery, if there is such a thing, is always wrong.

Again, I reiterate, this entire piece was amazing in a beat-around-the-bush way. If humans practiced moderation, we would definitely not be dealing with issues like pollution, over run landfills, petroleum shortages, and massive national debts. Also, if people practiced absolute wrongs more, there would be much less trouble in our lives. People wouldn't think it would be okay to cheat just once or steal just one little thing. The world really would be a better place. Aristotle, you were completely right, moderation truly is the key.

Innately Lazy

The argument of whether humans are innately good or innately evil may never be settled. However, I think it is well agreed that humans are innately lazy. We are always looking for the easy way out. Sometimes this is a good thing because a more efficient method is produced. Most of the time, and unfortunately so, the easier way just yields a sloppy mess which actually makes it harder on us in the long run. Petrarch found this to be true in his The Ascent of Mount Ventoux. In this story, he details his climb to the top of Mount Ventoux, one of the highest mountains in his region of France.

Petrarch first describes his search for a companion to hike with him in a Goldilocks fashion because they were all on one extreme or another. He finally chooses his brother as a fit companion to make the trek with him. At the foot of the mount, they are meet by an old shepherd, who strongly encourages the pair to turn around and not make the ascent. The shepherd says that he too made the hike about 50 years ago, but it was not worth it. He said that the only reward he got at the top was a sore and worn body. Still yet, the brother choose to travel onward, giving all unnecessary belongs to the shepherd so they wouldn't be slowed down by them.

During the first leg of the journey, Petrarch's brother, “chose a direct path straight up the ridge, I [Petrarch] weakly took an easier one which really descended” (68). When Petrarch finds himself lost and lower down than his brother, he calls out to him. Turning towards the direction of his brother, Petrarch still seeks the easier path; he even admits that he does not mind taking a longer way if it proved to be less steep. Petrarch finally realizes that his efforts to make the hike easier are in vain, “This was just an excuse for my laziness; and when the others had already reached a considerable height I was still wandering in the valleys. I had failed to find a easier path, and had only increased the distance and difficulty of the ascent” (68). He finally decides to take the direct, more challenging route and eventually reaches his brother, who is taking a rest.

They finally reach the summit of the mount and a beautiful view is revealed. Petrarch describes what he sees, claiming to be able to see all the way to Italy, where he studied in his youth. He allows himself time to take in the view and think about different topics. He thinks about the past and his future before he realizes that they must go soon. As a last minute effort to absorb the moment, Petrarch pulls out a small copy of St. Augustine's Confessions conveniently located in his back pocket. He lets the book fall open and reads: “And men go about to wonder at the heights of the mountains, and the mighty waves of the sea, and the wide sweep of rivers, and the circuit of the ocean, and the revolution of the stars, but themselves they consider not.” Petrarch is moved and at the same time disgusted with himself because of the truth that the selection holds.

So much verity can be found in Petrarch's story and we should all take a lesson from it. Probably about 90% of the time, the easier way is not the best way. However, we still chose to try it, hoping that it may be. We just end up where we were or sometimes even further behind and we finally surrender to doing it the right, but harder, way. I don't think that the great leaders of the Renaissance tried to take the easier way out when they created art or wrote various works. Sometimes they had no option but to do it right the first time. For example, when Michelangelo was standing in front of a massive slab of marble, about to create The David, I don't think he thought, “What is the easiest and fastest way that I can get this finished?”

This applies to our spiritual life also. We are always trying to find the easiest way to get to God and we often ask him to just come to us instead of trying to reach Him. The Bible even warns us against this when it says that the path to heaven is narrow and the path to damnation is broad. We should hold the mind set of secularism, in Renaissance style, and focus on reaching God for greater enlightenment and fulfillment instead of reaching Him for a better afterlife.

Lastly, before we can behold the beauty of the universe, we must turn our eyes onto ourselves and focus on individualism. We are so easily caught up in our surrounding events that we forget to focus on us. The human soul can be compared to a beautiful garden. When it is first planted, it takes much nourishment and careful watering. Soon, the plants grow in size and begin to bear gorgeous blossoms that are pleasing to the senses. However, the work does not stop there. If the garden is left alone, weeds will grow and the plants will fall stop producing blossoms. For the garden to grow is size and continue to flourish, the gardener must pull up the weeds and prune the plants so the blossoms will multiply. Only after taking away, the garden is able to mature. Only then are we able to enjoy the pure beauty and awesomeness of the garden.

Which Level Would You Be On?

There is a saying that states, “If you tell yourself a lie long enough, it becomes your truth.” There is a startling amount of accuracy to this statement. After reading selections from Dante Alighieri's La Divina Commedia: Inferno, I realized that many people derive their idea of Hell from Dante and not the Bible. Dante narrates his trip through the 9 levels of Hell, describing what he sees and who is there. Where the Bible describes Hell as the lake of fire, Dante actually portrays most of the torment to be a result of ice. Of course, it is a possibility that the presence of ice holds a double meaning as an allegory for the coldness of the sinner's hearts.

Dante's work holds three of the four central concepts: humanism, individualism, and historical self-consciousness. There is a huge emphasis on humanism in the Inferno, the reader sees many great philosophers and writers in Limbo such as Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, and Homer. Limbo is the in between area for the noble that died before Jesus died for salvation. Dante expresses his high opinion of this group of people and even categorizes himself with them.

Another element of humanism is asking questions, trying to get to the bottom of things. Dante is essentially doing that by writing the book, by exploring a topic that no writer dared to explore yet. Date also asks questions of his guide and “master” Vergil. Through Dante's questions, the reader is able to better understand what is going on since the majority of the poem is just descriptive of what Dante is seeing. One of the most haunting questions is asked at the Vestibule of Hell, “Master, what gnaws at them so hideously their lamentation stuns the very air?” Virgil's reply is, “They have no hope of death” (110).

I do believe that in this dim narrative there is still a flicker of hope. A great example would be the first three stanzas of the poem, which state, “Midway in our life's journey, I went astray/ from the straight road and woke to find myself/ alone in a dark wood. How shall I say/ what wood that was! I never saw so drear,/ so rank, so arduous a wilderness!/ Its very memory give a shape to fear./ Death could scarce be more bitter than that place!/ But since it came to good, I will recount all that I found revealed there by God's grace” (100). As human beings we have all sinned and probably all committed one of sins that Dante describes: being neither hot nor cold; lust; gluttony; hoarding or wasting; being wrathful or sullen; being a heretic; committing violence towards neighbor, self, or God, committing simple fraud; or committing compound fraud. Does this mean that we are all damned to Hell? No, according to Dante, he too was once in the “dark wood.” If there is true remorse and repentance, a soul can be pardoned from Hell because of Jesus' great sacrifice.

There is also an emphasis on individualism, but in a different way that we are used to seeing it in Renaissance texts. Instead of celebrating the versatility and virtuosity of the human being, the reader sees each individual made the choice to be there. Essentially, the individual even chooses their own punishment because the punishment is inversely related to the sin. For example, the lustful are trapped in whirlwinds just out of their lover's reach. Some of the punishments are so horrible and grotesque that Dante faints at the sight of them.

Lastly, there is also a sense of historical self-consciousness that can be seen in the Inferno. Since it was written in the early 1300s, it would be considered a transitional piece between the dark ages and the Renaissance. I believe that Dante knew that he was setting the stage for a very special time period and he wanted to give people the tools to get there. And he certainly did it well, his beautifully written poem was extremely long and constructed by a complex rhyming scheme. I don't think that he wanted readers to take his narrative as a truth, but he instead wanted people to realize that there are consequences for their actions. I think Dante also wanted people's curiosity to be spiked, so they could investigate the truth for themselves. It doesn't get any more Renaissance than that!

From Riches to Rags

Large cities such as Rome and Florence may house many beautiful works of art, but the truth is that every city in Italy is rich with art and history. This is particularly true for the little town of Assisi, home of St. Francis' Basilica. Francis was the son of a wealthy cloth merchant in Assisi and he lived the high-spirited life typical of a wealthy young man. Francis fought as a soldier for Assisi and while he was fighting in 1204, Francis had a vision that directed him back to Assisi. This is when he lost his taste for his worldly life. On a pilgrimage to Rome, Francis begged with the beggars at St. Peter's. The experience moved him to live in poverty. Francis returned home, began preaching on the streets, and soon amassed a following.

The church is not as ornate or as large as some of the Basilica's in Rome and Florence, but it is filled with a plethora of history. There are three different levels in the Basilica, the second and third are covered in frescoes and the bottom level is the tomb of St. Francis. Our tour guide was awesome and provided us with a great deal of information, he compared the paintings of the different floors to a baby and then an adolescent and then finally an adult. On the second floor, the frescoes are very simplistic and somewhat inaccurate. For example, there was a painting of a Jerusalem temple, but it was portrayed in a Gothic style. This is because people at the time had no way of knowing what temples in Jerusalem looked like, so they portrayed what was popular in their area at the time.

I think one thing that stuck me most on the second floor was the crucifix on the left side of the sanctuary. Above the cross was a small detail that could be easily over looked and it was the depiction of a pelican feeding its young. Our tour guide explained that it is because the pelican is the only bird that will tear it's own flesh off to feed its young when they are starving. This was very moving for me because it portrays the same self sacrifice that Jesus showed. Also on the second floor, there is a fresco representing the last judgment. This fresco has many of the same themes as Michelangelo's fresco of the last judgment in the Sistine Chapel.

The top floor was painted by Giotto, an artist admired by Michelangelo and Raphael. While the paintings were completed only shortly after the 2^nd floor, there is a huge difference. The characters are much more life-like and accurate. Many of the frescoes corresponded between the two floors which made is especially easy to compare the differences. One that I remember in particular was a portrait of Jesus with surrounded by a few birds. On the 2^nd floor, the birds were on the ground. There was no movement, no believability. However, on the 3^rd floor, some of the bird were in flight or walking around on the ground. Instead of Jesus having two vertical feet, his feet looked realistic and natural.

It was truly amazing to see the work of Giotto, especially to see how far he progressed the art style in such a short amount of time. I, personally, struggle to draw a stick figure, so I have a hard time imagining painting an entire sanctuary. It would have to take some much talent and time to complete. It is also amazing that hundreds of years later, these beautiful works of art are still available for viewing. I just hope that humans can continue to appreciate the true essence of these pieces.

Worth the Wait

This weekend, we visited beautiful Florence. Italy is world renown for it's art and houses a wealth of museums and historical buildings. One of the most awe-striking and gorgeous buildings in the city has to be the Florence Cathedral and its dome (duomo). The massive cathedral remained uncovered for nearly a century because none of the architects could figure out how to build a secure roof to cross the span. When they did solve the problem, the builders produced one of the most incredible works of art in the world.

Ideal art contains six elements: order, balance, proportion, precision, control, and clarity of communication and meaning. The Duomo definitely contains all of these ideals. The giant half sphere covers the front half of the Cathedral and is painted with fresco on the inside. The Duomo displays order because the decoration on the outside and inside is consistent and beautiful in design. The inside is painted with amazing fresco depicting Heaven and Hell. Balance and proportion are obviously present because it is a half sphere. The physics that had to go into the construction are incredible and fulfill the precision and control requirements. Lastly the clarity of communication and meaning is met, not only by the beautiful fresco, but also by the sheer size of dome. It conveys the power and greatness of the city of Florence.

I honestly cannot pitch a tent so I absolutely cannot imagine creating such a large structure to cover a building. The amount of physics and architectural engineering is incredible. They also don't have the modern tools that we have today, such as computers, programs, and construction equipment. I think, to me, that might be the most impressive part. They not only finally figured out a plan for a proper dome, but built it by hand and it is still standing centuries later. I can almost hear them saying, “Now, top that!”

It Feels So Right to be Wrong

So many times, as humans, we have expectations. Expectations for what our day will be like, how our outfit will lay, the quality of our dinner, the love from our family, or who God is. Then we have more specific expectations that we usually name “goals.” For example, we will say, “I want to lose so much weight by this day.” Or we may say, “By this year, I want to have achieved a certain salary.” We must have goals and expectations to thrive and flourish, without them we would become stagnant. However, by having them, we dive a little deeper into what Plato calls “The Cave.” We become so blinded by these ideas that we have that it becomes impossible to see anything else and we force these ideals to become truths.

This trip has definitely been like that for me. I had no idea what to expect from Italy or from this learning experience. Since, I didn't know what to expect, I made some fairly unfair predictions and set unrealistic goals. Thus, I was brought out of some of my cave, some of them were good to be brought out of, others not so much. For example, I was ecstatic to learn that many Italians can speak at least some English, when I expected them to not be able to do so. However, I was a little disappointed when I was not welcomed with open arms, especially by the Italian women. I thought that I would have plenty of time to grow spiritually and menatally, but on the contrary, I don't have time to get decent sleep. Instead, I am getting to know some amazing people and coming out of the cave that I had placed them in before I even knew them.

Within the first week, I was being dragged out of so many of my caves, that I learned to automatically expect that my conceptions were wrong. The systematic desensitization provided a cushion to prevent culture shock, which turned out to be a great thing. Being thrown into this new environment was so different that I stopped expecting and just went with the flow. I became a pliable piece of clay, allowing change to come freely instead of fighting against it. I think this is what Plato ultimately wants us to achieve, he wants us to not only come out of the cave, but continue to grow and change, to come out of caves everyday. Plato says that once one allows oneself to see the light, once one has big revelation, one never wants to go back. The new eyes should only provide a hunger for more truth and the desire to share the light with others that are still in their caves: “Would he not feel as Homer says, and heartily desire rather to be serf of some landless man on earth and to endure anything in the world, rather than to opine as they did and to live in that way [in the cave]?” (Plato “Allegory of the Cave” from The Republic).

By now, I can hardly remember what I expected from this trip or what I wished to achieve. But I am pretty sure that God had something totally different in mind for me. I am getting to see life in a way that I have never have before. By the time I come home, for six weeks, I won't have: driven a car, had consistent internet, watched TV (at least in English), sent a text message, been on the phone for over 2 minutes, eaten anything microwaved, had air conditioning in my home, used a dryer, been part of a majority, shopped at Wal-Mart, used a US dollar, or hugged my family. Some of these things are great, some are not so much. I thought that being away from these things would turn my focus more towards myself, but instead it has been turned towards others. I am learning so much about myself and what I want to be, by learning about some of the amazing people that I am surrounded by. I couldn't be more happy to be ripped out of my caves and to not achieve what I hoped to. It is probably the best kind of wrong that exists in the world.

Chiseling Away our Focus

When we were in Elementary School, our education was basic, but rounded. We had math, science, grammar, literature, music, and art. As we got older and progressed to middle school, we had all of these, but had to choose between music or art. In high school only one fine art required for all four years. Our educations were focused on our future careers. College becomes even more narrow, even at a liberal arts foundation.

Coming on this trip has opened my eyes to so many aspects of the fine arts that I did not see before. To me, one of the most awe-striking art forms were the sculptures. To think of an artist starting with a slab of marble and then producing a beautiful, larger-than-life, realistic model is just unreal. It reminds me of the Neoplatism view of the arts. This notion suggests that art can actually provide a reflector of which we can view the ideal form. It suggests that art fairly accurately represents perfect ideas as they exist in the mind and soul. And lastly, as it reveals the forms, it ultimately reveals the Divine. It is as if the artist has in mind the form they want to achieve and chunk by chunk, piece by piece, grit by grit, a masterpiece arises. It may not be “perfect form,” but it is just about as close as it can come.

Verde, Bianca, e Rosso

Since being in Italy, I have seen numerous differences in culture and lifestyle, compared to America. Some are great, others not so much. Some are big, some are small. There are somethings I expected to be totally different, but are actually the same. Then there are somethings I expected to be totally different that are actually not at all. For example, I learned for the first time what a bidet is (that doesn't mean I use it), I found out that the Italians apparently don't like to do laundry since the washer is the size of a small kettle and we have no dryer, I have now tasted what true gelato is and I will probably never be able to eat American ice cream again. I have (luckily) discovered that I am a pretty good cook and that authentic Italian food is unbelievable (this is why Perugia has so many stairs, to burn off the calories). However, I still can't figure out for the life of me why Italians have this beautiful sense of nationalism that Americans lack.

During the Renaissance, the people of Italy were so excited about what was going on, they knew that they were living in a very special time. Besides, after the Dark Ages, things could only up from there. Artists, such as Michelangelo, put all their effort into creating beautiful works of art, which nothing at the time (or today, really) could rival. Why would they do this? Because they were bored? Nope, it is because they loved their country, their commissioner, and they wanted their works to be best of the best. They probably didn't know that their works would still be viewed by millions of people hundreds of years later. The goal of their art was to capture the true essence of the day they were living in and capture it they did.

So many works of art seemed to be profound, over-the-top, full of light, and usually contained at least a few people as opposed to just one. Many times, artists would portray biblical characters and stories, mythology, or even other prominent scholars (such as in School of Athens). There was just a strong sense of nationalism and community that cannot be denied. That can still be seen today. I have countless pictures of the Italian flag flying outside of people's apartments. I see entire cities support a soccer team by dressing up in all pink. We have American's have plenty to be proud of, we just don't seem to show it. It is hard enough to get everyone to stand for the National Anthem, nevertheless sing at their top of lungs along with it. Where is our pride? Where is our sense of great history? Where is our community? Where is the love for our country? 

Older is Better

During our stay in Rome, we were lucky enough to have the chance to see many ancient structures and beautiful works of art. One of the most stunning being St. Peter's Basilica, the Papal Cathedral in the Vatican City. It was possibly the most beautiful building that I have ever seen. It was consecrated in 1626, so around the “end” of the Renaissance. In my opinion, the Basilica is the perfect example of Renaissance art at its highest. It held the four central concepts of the Renaissance, even secularism.

The giant and awe-striking structure absolutely blew my mind and then to think that this was constructed in the 1500 and 1600s, made it even more unbelievable. Humanism was expressed through the general celebration of mankind's relationship with God. Of course, churches are made for communing with God and then there were pictures and sculptures that depicted this relationship. One of the most memorable was the sculpture of Mary holding a grown Jesus in her lap. The expression on her face was pure sorrow.

Another large them was individualism. The fact that humans were able to construct such a massive and beautiful building is a celebration of versatility and virtuosity itself. I think the Basilica is a great example of Pico's argument, that mankind is capable of doing whatever they set their mind to. The thing that today's generation seems to have a hard time grasping is that it actually takes hard work and lots of time. I think the people of the Renaissance truly appreciated beautiful things and they knew that they were capable of achieving those things. The Basilica is a glorious example of these ideals, humanism, individualism, secularism, and historical self-consciousness brought together.

Higher Ground

As a Baptist that has been going to church all my life, I have many times heard the pastor say, “If you remember nothing else from what I said, remember this...” I feel like I had one of those moments today in class. I remember talking about many things, but when we started discussing Giovanni Pico della Mirandola's Oration on the Dignity of Man, I became particularly engaged. Pico discussed many great topics, but one of the biggest themes was, as humans, we can literally be whatever we wish to be. We just have to want it badly enough.

Humans have the flexibility and freedom of choice. We can move upward towards the angels or digress to animalistic behavior. So which way should we go? I believe that Pico encourages us to move towards the “sacred mysteries,” Seraphim, Cherubim, and Thrones (72). These are the very creatures that were created to serve the Creator and Pico suggests that, “If we have willed it, we shall be second to them in nothing” (72). This is a pretty strong statement considering Pico describes these beings as having “the fire of love,” “splendor of intelligence,” and “the steadfastness of judgement” (72). Pico challenges humans to emulate these beings and achieve total potential.

There are some clear central concepts in this except of the text. Pico begins this particular section with, “Let us disdain earthly things, [and] despise heavenly things” (72). I believe this is a good example of secularism. The focus is on the here and now, certainly not the afterlife. Pico does not want man to be the best possible to reserve a seat in the afterlife, he wants them to be good for their own sake. There is also a running theme of individualism, with Pico. He celebrates human life and gladly embraces the capabilities of mankind, while encouraging others to achieve heavenly potential. I hear very little humanism in this particular except, however there definitely is a focus on asking questions of the self: What are we truly capable of? How far are we willing to push ourselves? I also don't really hear any historical self-consciousness, however I do infer that Pico knew that he was living in a special time where humans were re-discovering just exactly what they are capable of.

Pico's challenge, while a bold one, is a beautiful one. I personality only want to move upwards, to become the best human being possible. If I want to become fluent in Italian, I can. I just have to want it and I just have to work towards it. And that is so much of my problem. I just want to settle with what comes easy to me instead of working towards something better. So I would like to take Pico up and see how far I can go.

First Impressions

First impressions are always difficult, at least for me. I have this bad habit of making unfair judgments and setting unrealistic expectations, then in the end, I just end up disappointed. The first night in Italy, I was wondering what I was doing here. The hotel that we were staying at seemed to be in a trashy ghetto, one you could find in many places in the United States. Why would I come all the way to Italy and pay money to get something that I could find in my backyard? However, the second day exceeded my expectations. While it was different from what I imagined, Perugia is beautiful and historic and I definitely could not find things like this in my back yard. I am trying my best to not do the same with this course. There are things that I expect and I may be slightly disappointed if these ideals are not true, but I am trying my best to keep an open mind.

I first and foremost expect this class to be an expansion of my mind. I have to remind myself that this is a study abroad trip and not a vacation. I am here to learn, and learn is what I plan to do. However, I plan to learn not only in the classroom, but also in the very streets that I walk everyday, in local muesems, and in the trips that we take. For the first time, I will not just be learning about Western Civilization in a book, but living in it. I expect to learn about art, music, and philosophy. I am especially exciting because none of these things directly apply to my nursing degree. I hope to become a more well rounded student that is able to think, citize, and write about my educational experience. Most of all, I hope to grow.