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From Frescoes to Flowers
A Tour of Italy By Teri Brown
Italy. Just the word brings visions of lavish villas, priceless works of art and exquisite formal gardens. The birthplace of the Renaissance, Italy is filled with places to visit that will delight and tantalize the senses. Your only problem may be choosing where to go.
These "paintings in the wall" grace such famous locations as the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel and the Churches of Assisi. During the Renaissance, an artist was only as good as his fresco, to the disgust of Michelangelo, who, in spite of having created some of the most beautiful frescoes in the world, far preferred to work in marble.
Fresco, which means "fresh" in Italian, is the art of painting on fresh plaster with pigments diluted in water. The painting must be done quickly before the base has time to dry, as once it has dried, the painting becomes an actual part of the wall. This is what gives the fresco its uniquely soft colors and delicate transparency.
You cannot venture far in Italy without coming across a fresco. The most famous, of course, is the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, by Michelangelo, whose vibrant colors and detailing have inspired generations of awed visitors. The Vatican is also famous for its numerous other frescoes, which are painted by various artists.
But there are also a number of frescoes, not quite so well known, that are worth seeking out. The frescoes of the Brancacci Chapel are some of the most important works in a country of priceless art. The chapel is located in the church of the Santa Maria Della Carmine in Florence. It houses religious frescoes done by Masaccio, Masolino and Filippino Lippi. Masaccio's work is said to have greatly influenced both Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.
In Turin, at the Church of the Holy Trinity, you can also view beautiful frescoes painted by Francesco Gonin and Luigi Vacca.
