Our first project was due on Sunday. It was our task to select a space within Castiglion Fiorentino that needed a little modification in some way. We did some analysis of the space and then developed a "Modest Proposal." My space was a courtyard that is located between two high schools: one is the arts based school and the other is the technical school. My proposal was to add some stairs to make an outdoor classroom and a place for the students to hang out between classes.
This was our first experience of spending an extended amount of time in studio all working to create a final project. It was also my first time watercoloring and I am pretty surprised at how well it turned out. We will have to see what my professor Tony has to say.
Our field trip this week was to Assisi. Of course, we were prepared for rain. However, we were pleasantly greated with grey skies that in the afternoon turned into partly cloudy, blue skies. It is truly amazing what a few sun rays can do to liven up a town and my mood. I had been to Assisi in 2004 while it was raining and only saw the middle and lower churches of San Francesco. This trip we got to see several of the other churches in town, including Santa Chiara or St. Claire, the namesake of our study center. The body of St. Francis' dear friend St. Claire was entombed in the crypt and had been found under the altar uncorrupted during a more recent renovation. However, when they exhumed the body, her face began to rapidly deteriorate. They sent her body to France to have a wax mask made to preserve her likeness. Unfortunately, no photos were allowed in the churches. 
Our tour guide told a story of an American tourist that asked her why there were so many statues of cats in Assisi. She was puzzled by the question and then responded that to him those statues may look more like an American housecat, but those are Italian lions!
After lunch, we were left to our own devices. Some of us walked up to the Rocca Maggiore, a ruined fortress. The views from the fortress site were absolutely breathtaking. On one side, the town spills down the hill into a valley below, not unlike the Salt Lake Valley. On the other, a mountainous wilderness is punctuated by the occaisonal watchtower and hilly pasture where sheep can be found grazing. It was a very stark divide between civilization and the primeval forest.
The sun had finally been able to break free from the clouds and was streaming "God rays" down onto the valley floor below. The play of light and shadow, as well as the recent rains, made the colors extra deep and gave great contrast.
Assisi turned out to be one of my favorite field trips that we have been on so far. The town was very quaint and a new vista was around every medieval bend. The streets were stepped in some instances where they were too steep. They were even steeper than the hills in CF!
The town of Assisi is very linear in plan and has a great deal of elevation change. It made navigating fairly easy, as the next stop on the tour was visible from the starting point. In the distance, you can see San Francesco. The church is actually a Papal basilica and is property of the Vatican. The Romanesque church that was built in the middle is very luxurious with many frescoes by Giotto, Cimabue, Lorenzetti and many others. Our tour guide, and myself, felt that St. Francis would be appalled at the wealth that went into the church. The tomb of St. Franics is in the lower church, which was built later and is more along St. Francis' aesthetic. The upper church is Gothic in style and is the location that was damaged by a severe earthquake that killed several monks and fresco restorers. While we were in the middle church, a man wearing a hat was walking around inspecting various aspects of the building. It turns out that he is in charge of the very prestigious restoration team. Some of his friends and colleagues were among those who died when the upper church's ceiling collapsed.
Well, sorry this took so long to update. We have been having internet difficulties. I hope to update you on my weekend travels to Lucca, Pisa and Viareggio within the next day or two, so stay tuned. But for now, that's all folks.
This was our first experience of spending an extended amount of time in studio all working to create a final project. It was also my first time watercoloring and I am pretty surprised at how well it turned out. We will have to see what my professor Tony has to say.
Our field trip this week was to Assisi. Of course, we were prepared for rain. However, we were pleasantly greated with grey skies that in the afternoon turned into partly cloudy, blue skies. It is truly amazing what a few sun rays can do to liven up a town and my mood. I had been to Assisi in 2004 while it was raining and only saw the middle and lower churches of San Francesco. This trip we got to see several of the other churches in town, including Santa Chiara or St. Claire, the namesake of our study center. The body of St. Francis' dear friend St. Claire was entombed in the crypt and had been found under the altar uncorrupted during a more recent renovation. However, when they exhumed the body, her face began to rapidly deteriorate. They sent her body to France to have a wax mask made to preserve her likeness. Unfortunately, no photos were allowed in the churches. 
Our tour guide told a story of an American tourist that asked her why there were so many statues of cats in Assisi. She was puzzled by the question and then responded that to him those statues may look more like an American housecat, but those are Italian lions!
After lunch, we were left to our own devices. Some of us walked up to the Rocca Maggiore, a ruined fortress. The views from the fortress site were absolutely breathtaking. On one side, the town spills down the hill into a valley below, not unlike the Salt Lake Valley. On the other, a mountainous wilderness is punctuated by the occaisonal watchtower and hilly pasture where sheep can be found grazing. It was a very stark divide between civilization and the primeval forest.
The sun had finally been able to break free from the clouds and was streaming "God rays" down onto the valley floor below. The play of light and shadow, as well as the recent rains, made the colors extra deep and gave great contrast.
Assisi turned out to be one of my favorite field trips that we have been on so far. The town was very quaint and a new vista was around every medieval bend. The streets were stepped in some instances where they were too steep. They were even steeper than the hills in CF!
The town of Assisi is very linear in plan and has a great deal of elevation change. It made navigating fairly easy, as the next stop on the tour was visible from the starting point. In the distance, you can see San Francesco. The church is actually a Papal basilica and is property of the Vatican. The Romanesque church that was built in the middle is very luxurious with many frescoes by Giotto, Cimabue, Lorenzetti and many others. Our tour guide, and myself, felt that St. Francis would be appalled at the wealth that went into the church. The tomb of St. Franics is in the lower church, which was built later and is more along St. Francis' aesthetic. The upper church is Gothic in style and is the location that was damaged by a severe earthquake that killed several monks and fresco restorers. While we were in the middle church, a man wearing a hat was walking around inspecting various aspects of the building. It turns out that he is in charge of the very prestigious restoration team. Some of his friends and colleagues were among those who died when the upper church's ceiling collapsed.
Well, sorry this took so long to update. We have been having internet difficulties. I hope to update you on my weekend travels to Lucca, Pisa and Viareggio within the next day or two, so stay tuned. But for now, that's all folks.
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