Un Gran Presidente?!

This past weekend, I went Parma to visit my friend Nicola and to attend an art exhibition featuring the famous Renaissance painter Antonio Allegri (better known as Correggio). The show was divided into four separate exhibits scattered all over the city. I think the idea was to go in a certain order, which I didn't - however I'll write about them in the order in which I was supposed to see them. (It's better this way, trust me.)

The first was a gallery featuring many of Correggio's paintings, as well as many works by artists who inspired him. For example, I saw a drawing by Da Vinci which has always been one of my favorites. I think that it's normally referred to in English as "Head of a Woman" or "Woman's head" or something, but in Italian, it's called La Scapigliata which means "uncombed woman." I like the Italian title more!It's really interesting to see the influence of this drawing on some of Correggio's paintings, especially those of the Virgin Mary:The second exhibit was in a convent, where I saw the "Camera di San Paolo." Correggio painted the entire room with a fresco of tiny cherubs. It used to be the private dining room of the mother-superior of the convent. I can't imagine having a room like that all to myself... I'd probably be too distracted to eat anything!Finally, the third and fourth exhibits were by far the most incredible. Correggio frescoed the domes (le cupole) of two churches in the city of Parma - the Cathedral of Parma, and the Church of San Giovanni Evangelista. The dome in the cathedral is painted with a fresco of the Assumption of Mary...
...and the dome in the church of San Giovanni is painted with a fresco of St. John at Patmos.
Now, let me tell you - I've seen a whole lot of frescoed domes in my day. (Ha!) This was a little different, though. For this exhibition, there were staircases set up which allowed us to actually climb up inside the domes and walk around, just inches from the painting itself. Completely surrounded by the painting, I could see each brush stroke, each tiny little detail and each toe of each apostle. There is so much detail that can't be seen from the ground. I was stunned - it was so beautiful. Photos were strictly forbidden, but I will never forget it.

If any of you get the chance to climb into a frescoed dome any time soon, I highly recommend it.

The rest of my free time lately has been taken over by studying, although I did take a break on Saturday night to enjoy a massive Italian dinner: American style with two friends from my program. What does "american style" mean, you ask? Garlic bread, my friends - Garlic bread, pasta from a box and sauce from a jar. It was magnificent, unless you ask my roommates, in which case it was absolutely repulsive. (That's why I don't ask them anything...) Did you know garlic bread doesn't exist here? Neither did I, which is why I agreed to study here for a year....

One last treat before I go to bed... Nicola decided to make a video while we were eating lunch and this is by far the best clip. In the beginning of the clip, he says "Era un gran presidente, George W. Bush." (George W. Bush was a great president.) Nicola is a nice guy and all, but we don't exactly see eye to eye when it comes to American politics... as you can probably see by my reaction. Anyway, this clip made me laugh a lot and hopefully it'll make you laugh, too!



I love and miss you all.... I look forward to hearing wonderful news from home. (In other words: e-mail me, you punks!)