Throwback Thursday: Scio me nihil scire

tanjabrittonwriter 42 Comments

I will occasionally re-publish an older post under the heading Throwback Thursday. This one first appeared here on July 3, 2016, when my blog was but a few months young and was noticed by only a handful of fellow bloggers. I have made only a few slight changes to the original. It’s the second of four posts about a visit to Rome in June 2015. If you missed the first, you can find it here.

Thank you for traveling back in time with me.

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It has been said that a year would not suffice were a pilgrim to the Holy City to seek out one church daily, and I for one believe it. Two greeted me in the vicinity of the main train station immediately upon my arrival, and I was never far from one throughout my stay. During the few days at my disposal, I dedicated one to St. Peter and the Vatican, but at least one more ecclesiastical edifice piqued my interest: Santa Maria della Vittoria, home of “The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa,” a sculpture by the seventeenth century Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680). Though I am no connoisseur of Catholic Saints, or of Baroque art, a likeness of the monument features prominently in a spellbinding contemporary novel (and one of my all-time favorites), Cutting for Stone, by Dr. Abraham Verghese. After my literary acquaintance I was determined to encounter it “in the stone.”

The church’s impressive but understated earth-tone external façade did not prepare me for its opulent interior.

Interior of Santa Maria della Vittoria

Interior of Santa Maria della Vittoria

Sumptuous paintings, ornate marble columns, and stucco angels occupied the sacred sphere but despite their brilliance, my eyes did not rest on them long and were drawn instead to one of the side chapels. There, in a world of marble, the life-size luminous figures of Teresa and an angel float on a cloud, surrounded by a shrine that is illuminated by a circle of golden rays. The Saint is half-recumbent, her head extended, her eyes closed, and her face enraptured. The angel lifts her billowy dress and points an arrow at her heart.

The Ecstasy of St. Teresa

The Ecstasy of St. Teresa

By her own report, Teresa had visions of being tormented by this angelic arrow whose flaming tip pierced her repeatedly, setting her on fire with a great love for God. The Carmelite nun who lived in Spain in the sixteenth century (1515-1582), was canonized by Pope Gregory XV in 1622, and the sculpture was completed by Bernini in 1652, in response to a commission by a Catholic Cardinal who desired it as the crown jewel for his burial chapel.

I can’t judge whether Teresa’s ecstasy is carnal, rather than chaste, which seems to have been a perpetual debate since her creation, but this realistic and exquisite piece of art by Bernini aroused my curiosity about the artist. Not knowing much beyond his name before my sojourn in Rome, repeated references to him in my guide book attested to his pervasive influence throughout the city. Next to Teresa’s inspired rendering, he was instrumental in the redesign of St. Peter’s Basilica where he created the immense bronze baldachin covering St. Peter’s tomb, and he later also fashioned the semicircular colonnades that contribute to the beautiful symmetry of St. Peter’s Square.

Fountain of the Four Rivers with the God representing the Ganges; the others show the Nile, the Danube, and the Rio de la Plata, each representing one of the four known continents of the era

Fountain of the Four Rivers with the God representing the Ganges; the others show the Nile, the Danube, and the Rio de la Plata, each representing one of the four known continents of the era

Other masterpieces include the Fountain of the Four Rivers on The Piazza Navona, the Triton Fountain on the Piazza Barberini, and the whimsical Elephant with Obelisk on the Piazza della Minerva near the Pantheon, though the latter was likely completed by one of his students. Bernini, precocious artist extraordinaire, proved his special talent before the age of ten, and his mastery of sculpture and architecture proved as rich as his eighty-one years on earth, in the course of which eight successive popes employed his services.

During my all-too-brief stay in Italy’s capital, and my semi-accidental stumbling upon Bernini, I recalled a phrase attributed to Socrates: “Scio me nihil scire” (I know that I know nothing). I am reminded of this realization daily, but traveling to new frontiers has a way of magnifying it. Rome was no exception, and it would take an eternity to explore all the city has to offer. For lack of this, I must content myself with the hope of an occasional visit, and prepare to be surprised each time.

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There will be two more posts about my Rome trip on the next two Thursdays.

Click here for the German version/klicken Sie bitte hier für die deutsche Version:

https://tanjaschimmel.wordpress.com/2016/08/09/scio-me-nihil-scire/

42 thoughts on “Throwback Thursday: Scio me nihil scire”

  3. Your statement about the number of churches in Rome got me curious to do a comparison. Wikipedia says that New York City has approximately 2000 churches. Whether on average they’re as elaborate as the ones in Rome are on average, I don’t know.

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    • That’s interesting. A quick internet search tells me there are “more than” 900 churches in Rome. I wonder if the definition of “church” differs between the two towns with regard to the building.

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  6. “ . . . it would take an eternity to explore all the city has to offer.” You’re not kidding. Rome is unbelievable. I remember reading, for instance, about well-preserved ancient streets and homes buried below present-day ground level.

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  8. This is stunning photography, Tanja. I don’t know if it’s by instinct or training that prompted you to capture these Roman delights at these intriguing angles. Whatever the reason, your photos seem to inject more magic into these already gorgeous sculptures. I remember being fascinated by Bernini’s “Ecstasy of Saint Teresa” when we learned about her in art history class. I probably won’t be seeing her in the “flesh” but I am really happy to see her here. I can see why your eyes were so drawn to her. 👏

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  9. Dear Tanja,

    “I know I know nothing.” Thank you for taking us back to Italy. You eloquently provided such beautiful imagery and descriptions for these awe-invoking sculptures, works of art, and architecture. I’ve dreamed of going to Rome my entire life. Thank you for sharing, dear friend. I’m fascinated by Bernini’s gift of art! WOW!

    I hope your December finds peace with the falling snow, after the cranes, and the quiet times in the timber with nature providing much peace. Many blessings, my friend. 💛

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    • Thank you for your kind comment, dear Karla. I’m not an artist or art connoisseur, but seeing Bernini’s (and many other artists’) creations left a deep impression.

      I hope you will be able to realize your dream of a Rome visit. I’m dreaming of re-visiting there, but if that doesn’t happen, I’m grateful for my memories.

      Your wishes for December are lovely. All of us need peace and quiet and blessings and I herewith return them to you.

      Gratefully,

      Tanja

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  10. So wie du auf Berninis Spuren wandeltest, wandelte ich in Rom auf den Spuren Michelangelos.
    Rom wird als Nabel der Welt bezeichnet und für mich stimmt das zu Hundert Prozent.
    Ich freue mich auf deine nächsten Beiträge.
    Liebe Grüße Brigitte

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    • Dankeschön, liebe Brigitte. Man bzw. frau könnte in Rom ganz vielen verschiedenen Spuren folgen. Michelangelos Werken bin ich natürlich auch begegnet–niemals werde ich die sixtinische Kapelle vergessen.

      Liebe Grüße,

      Tanja

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  12. Bernini is a master architect and sculptor in the Baroque style. Thank you for sharing these wonderful images of the Ecstasy of St. Teresa and The Fountain of the Four Rivers, or Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, among others. Bernini is considered the father of the Baroque style, which was an expansion of the Renaissance style. Bernini studied Michelangelo’s work and was influenced by the work of Caravaggio. I’ve been also been reading about the ‘New Spanish Baroque’ also known as Mexican Baroque, refers to Baroque art developed in the entire territories that once formed the Viceroyalty of New Spain in the 17-18th Century. This goes to show how Baroque extended overseas and that Mexico also has beautiful cathedrals in the Baroque style.

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    • Thank you, Maria. Bernini’s creations (and Michelangelo’s for that matter) are likely among the most accomplished and beautiful ever. It’s not surprising that the Baroque style was adopted and adapted by various other cultures and countries.

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  18. Fascinating, but I can feel the floor beneath me already getting warm. I really like the “Scio me nihil scire” quote. I need to add it to my list of favorite Latin quotes picked up over the many years staring at stain glass windows and elaborate facades from a child through first 3 years of college.

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