AT Europe: Chianti, Italy - Religious Art | Apartment Therapy New York

AT Europe: Chianti, Italy - Religious Art

Anyone who's traveled to Italy has noticed the ubiquity of religious art in public spaces, little Madonna and Christ shrines lurking around every corner, often adorned with real or plastic flowers...

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Walking around Florence, San Casciano in Val di Pesa and Barberino Val D'Elsa recently, I couldn't help take note of these vignettes.

A Madonna behind bars, plastic flowers at her feet, a Made in China lock protecting her from the covetous.

A crucifix hung to a wall between neighboring houses, in the same hue as the surrounding stone.

Or a Madonna and child painting and a pot of flowers near the entrance to a private village house.

Madonnas everywhere keeping watch on the faithful and unfaithful alike, framed in special boxes or perched on simple window ledges.

And some windows devoted to the miracle of nature instead.

- Kristin Hohenadel blogging from rue Vieille du Temple, Paris, France. She can be reached at kristinh @ apartmenttherapy . com

Comments (9)

South oakland (neighborhood in pittsburgh that has a large italian population) has a few of these dotting the area and they're charming in a kitschy way :-) Actually there is a book that was written a few years ago based on them (local little pamphlet -wish I had a copy of it!) - it detailed why and when they were built - most are in memory of deceased love ones.

posted by shurraycmu on August 20th 2007 at 12:06pm
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As long as the other religious folk will let me put up some non-religious art glorifying the true godless cosmos right next to their magical sky ladies I'm cool with it.

posted by Max on August 20th 2007 at 12:21pm
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I'm with Max...I'd like to see a shrine to Wonder Woman or Xena to go with all the other fictional characters...

posted by Michael W. on August 20th 2007 at 2:00pm
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Pittsburgh also is the home of the world's largest collection of relics--St. Anthony's on Troy Hill.
http://www.ichrusa.com/saintsalive/anthony.htm
And almost every house in my neighborhood has a little grotto in the yard.

posted by polkadot on August 20th 2007 at 2:37pm
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Shout out Pittsburgh! (my hometown!)

Whether you believe them holy or not, most religious figures were historical figures that actually existed (Jesus, Mary, Mohammed, Buddha) so calling them fictional is fiction in itself. But, thanks for the moment of religious intolerance.

posted by Christine (the one in DC) on August 21st 2007 at 4:19am
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Freedom of religion is also freedom from religion.

posted by Max on August 21st 2007 at 4:21am
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I'd be remiss if I did not mention the Somerville (MA) Madonna project:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joshmichtom/sets/374600/

Don't know the person, but I know some of the Madonnas!

posted by Nora Rocket on August 21st 2007 at 4:46am
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I wasn't aware that there was any evidence other than the bible for the existence of Jesus or Mary. I'd be very interested if you can point me to some information that disputes this--we had a discussion about it at work last month.

posted by Michael W. on August 21st 2007 at 5:17am
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"It seems that we live in a place of hypocrisy..."

"...their magical sky ladies..."

"...freedom from religion."

"I wasn't aware..."

Really!? Guys... Really?! Do you really think that this is the forum for a "debate" on religion? Take your incendiary language elsewhere.

A heartfelt thanks to kristin, Nora Rocket, shurraycmu, and polkadot for either reminiscing or describing the aesthetics of shrines without waxing polemic.

posted by birk on August 21st 2007 at 5:58pm
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