Back to the origins

A very meaningful part of the exhibition IL CINQUECENTO A FIRENZE

Yesterday I was in Florence to visit the exhibition about the Italian Renaissance with a friend of mine, Annette.

What a great opportunity to be back writing on my blog. Indeed from February to October this year, I have been busy with a project for a shopping center here in my area.

I would like to explain that my studies about the Italian Renaissance and my visits to places in Italy have a very practical aim: creating something new in the arts & crafts industry with regards to services and products for the travelers. Therefore beyond any results, my break time was well spent. I am getting there!

Tickets to the exhibition IL CINQUECENTO A FIRENZE cost 12.00 euros. I had a reduction to 9.50 euros as I showed the admission desk my COOP member card. The exhibition will be open until January 21st, 2018.

What struck me about the 70 paintings and sculptures at The Cinquecento in Florence was the paintings' colors: lively and common to each other. Several paintings were restored for the occasion by the Friends of Florence. I particularly like the name Friends of Florence as I think of you, the Friends of Cama.

The CHIUSI-CHIANCIANO
TERME train station 

The so-called 'Porcellino' (sweet pig) is actually
a...wild boar! 

Annette and I, we went to Florence by train leaving from the Chiusi train station at 09:09am and took the 07:13pm train back home.

The rest of the day in Florence we visited the Medici-Riccardi palace with the marvelous Benozzo Gozzoli chapel.

Then we attended a conference about Botticelli and Dante at the palace that is located in front of it, the seat of the Region of Tuscany. It's called Palazzo del Pegaso.

Lastly, we paid a visit to the Mercato del Porcellino and touched the wild boar nose!

A famous detail from the Benozzo Gozzoli chapel at Palazzo Medici-Riccardi. It took the artist 20 years to paint one of the most beautiful chapels in the world. What an amazing place to visit! 

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Finding A Link

Peter Paul Rubens, Centaur Nessus abducting Dejanira and Hercules chasing him,
1636, private collection (temporarily at the Galleria Civica in Jesi, Italy)

Visiting museums and art galleries is an opportunity to find out more about the origins of Italian expressions we use every day. I mention Italian and other romanesque languages because they come straight from Latin and Greek, passing through Latin and Greek mythology. I think of this process of etymology awareness as a way to go beyond our limits. By going through this process we can explore the world of poetry. We can go past the horizon of words.

Based on this introduction, I would like to share my latest discovery with you, surfing through the mythological origins of an expression in particular witnessing the poetry of words which means: dreaming.

Peter Paul Rubens, Centaur Nessus abducting Dejanira and Hercules chasing him,
1636, private collection (temporarily at the Galleria Civica in Jesi, Italy)  

I was in Jesi in the Le Marche region a few weeks ago. I visited the town for the first time. The painting gallery was one of the highlights of my trip. Here is one of the wonderful rooms of Palazzo Pianetti I noticed a painting telling the story of the centaur Nessus, in Italian Nesso. So when I read the story of centaur Nessus, the first thing that came to my mind was the Italian expression: "trovare il nesso", in English: finding a link. English makes things easier for its users by selecting 'link' instead of 'nexus' for 'Nessus', 'nesso'. Italian is a little more complicated in expressing the same concept. However, in Italian, we get to appreciate mythology through our language as Nessus was the centaur who was the ferryman of river Eveno. Therefore from now on when I think of finding a link between two things or making a connection between two concepts, I will think of centaur Nessus carrying me from one side to the other of the river Eveno.

An angel is watching over our journey
Peter Paul Rubens, Centaur Nexus kidnapping Deianira and Hercules chasing him,
1636, private collection

Isn't that cool or what? I have always tried to figure out what mythology was there for. No one taught me it exactly. I am learning it in recent years by myself by experiencing the function of art and art history in a revival process such as Cama's journey.
After all the above description, it would be fun to know that in English you use the same expression: finding a nexus, literally 'finding a ferryman'. I am curious to know the answer to this question. Your feedback is welcome!

               

Cama® is a cultural brand

                                 

                         FRIENDS OF CAMA's Blog

Renaissance Art Curiosities in Times of Rebirth   

Cama® is the first Italian art workshop on her revival journey. Like and share this page for a unique armchair traveling experience from Italy.

Like and share Cama's Facebook page