A bit about the tour of the church. This was originally a church founded in the 9th century. There is a legend that it goes back to Charlemagne (Karl der Grosse) and recently they radio carbon dated some beams which go back to 757 AD. (If done accurately radio carbon dating can have an error margin of about 75 years in either direction). You can see part of the church and also barely see the pass through which Charlegmagne did indeed pass when on his way down to Rome to be crowned Holy Roman Emperor by the pope in 800 AD. On his way down he thought, "well, I might as well subdue the Lombards while I'm at it." And he did. Anyway, the legend is that he came back in February when the snows were heavy and that he had the chapel built-and a monastery established-to give thanks for passing through safely. His wife had another church built. Both still stand.
It is a believable legend.
Anyway, the second picture is of a "column-eater," a whimsical figure meant to remind us that "Alles ist kaput" (I can't remember the future tense) - "All will pass." Momento mori. Even these strong pillars, which are over 1000 years old, will pass.
The last picture is of one of the three apses. You can see the original fresco, very faint, which is Carolingian. The figures are wearing Roman clothing. Over it is the more "modern" 12th century fresco were everyone is wearing Frankish clothing. The monks had left and nuns moved in at that time. As Fr. Columban, our guide who spoke limited English said, (as best I can remember):
"und dann die Schwestern kommen"
(and then the sisters came)
"und Frauen wollen sehr Modern sein"
(and women wish to be very modern)
"so they had these up-to-date 12th century frescos painted over the Carolingian ones."
(I forgot the German.)
To be fair, this was done all the time by men as well - as on the Isle of Reichenau. But I found funny the idea of the nuns as 12th century interior decorators.* Actually this was done often. You can see elements of Carolingian, Romanesque, Gothic, and finally Baroque in this one chapel. They were a little more consistent in trying to integrate in the past- sometimes by just covering up with white wash. Things look so crazy now because restorers in the 19th-20th century started uncovering things and then the government, and finally international authorities, like UNESCO, get involved. A lot of these churches are protected by law as historical sites and so the church authorities cannot change them without permission. It's a mixed blessing.
-------------
"Oh, those men! They've been here for four centuries and have changed the decor about as often as they put on a clean shirt!"
2 comments:
I wonder about that sometimes, especially when it's a situation where a really cool fresco covers up another really cool, but much older, fresco. Which fresco takes precedence? Who decides?
At least in the past, they didn't seem to care. There wasn't the same historical consciousness. While not being "radical innovators," the "historical preservationist" is more a creature of the 19th/20th century.
Post a Comment