Aperitivo at St.Mark's
On 31st May 2024 our first event finally took place: an Aperitivo with a visit to a very unusual church in Florence, where art is not museum art
After months of meeting in a bar (adopted as an office), praying, hoping and of course thorough info spreading we could only be optimistic. I in particular was in my usual emotional state of heart.
I was supposed to guide the group, and though I had been rehearsing every afternoon for at least three weeks, I knew 🥴 I would stumble at some point
However, this stumble hooked with my guests, who immediately ran to my aid, some with a suggestion, some looking up the information on the mobile Internet. I wanted to quote the beginning of Mark's gospel but could no longer remember the words....
The day had begun with my usual anxiety, inside, while outside there was still plenty to do: set up chairs, clean up, and pull down a tent forgotten in front of the altar. Then back to the kitchen, choose plates and tablecloths, cut bread, and prepare for the banquet on the piano nobile (main floor).
When all was done, it was turn for me to disappear and get ready 💅 Then the hour came and everyone arrived. Greetings, presentation, then suddenly… all the eyes on me.
Everything went smoothly in the hallway - where I had purposely chosen to start the visit with a brief introduction with names and dates, and especially introduce Charles Tooth, the reverend who built this unusual church and carried on the mission with extraordinary faith and courage.
In those days, the Oltrarno district was a dangerous area, the police did not enter and everybody avoided one another. Tooth started something that did not yet exist but was already badly needed 😎
But when we finally entered the church, someone whispered in my ear that we had to be quicker because the choir was coming down. This caused me unnecessary confusion. I had worked so hard to prepare a concise yet proper visit to a Victorian-era historic site in Florence that too many still don’t know at all…
Noooo, you can’t do it that way… Atmospheres ARE important.
Outside the door it’s still 2024 world. But once you step in and the main doors close, it’s like a comeback to the 1800s 😮
Everything is wood, with a few hints of white marble. One organ note is enough to fill the room. No more noise from the traffic outside. St. Mark's does not exist only for ceremonies, but also lights up in the silence of a weekday, or in the liveliness of a concert.
Perhaps it’s due to the type of materials used by its builders; the architect George Bodley, a well known Gothic Revival figure, must have taken metrics and combinations well into account, I imagine...
Those were still times when people worked with calm and attention to detail. Life was difficult, but it was still true life. Those were the days of Pre-Raphaelite inspiration, and of those many souls who claimed the right to a not dehumanizing progress. Famous names have crossed this threshold; St. Mark's got special fame.
Man does not live on bread alone, the Gospels report. Stop then, and take a breath. Leave 2024 outside and feel here like in another time: you can enjoy music, a voice or a silence that reconnects with God.
Not many people stop by; however, when they enter, remain hit by the unusual beauty of this place and gladly take pictures.
Almost everyone is amazed by the 3D Annunciazione 😍 by Giuseppe Catani Chiti, a Tuscan fine painter of sacred art born in Prato
Behold, I am the maid of the Lord. Let it happen to me according to your word. Words reported by him in Gothic characters, but not just quotes. They are the direct voice of Mary, a young woman who went down in history as an extraordinary example of faith.
On the other column hangs a vigorous Archangel Michael, painted as a knight, returning us into Revelation and the end of all evil.
One day I asked a professor, a man of Florentine culture, how he felt about this particular place. I was not asking him notions, but feelings. Notions are the same for everyone, but feelings are what make the difference.
He replied that the place was definitely marked by strong symbolism 🤓
Turn your gaze just anywhere and you will find a detail, a flower, an inscription, a drawing... it's hard to think of them as mere decoration. It captured me so much that I don't even mind if none of this matters to anyone.
I remember moments when I was moved to tears as I read some of the writings "in memory of...". It's touching when somebody lives in a way that you feel the need to remember.
And have you seen that flower that is always there everywhere you turn to?
It is usually a type of element that signifies virtue. But a repeating flower becomes a symbol of us all, that in the acceptance of Christ we may be reborn and acquire the promised eternal life.
Going back to that day’s first event, I felt like a bit of a debutante, and in the end it was a small success.
We had our snack time & conversation, but you know
what is the real Aperitivo in a place like this? Crostini, pate and a selected wine… alone? We should start thinking the same about churches: is a building enough to make a church? Or is it people? 🤔
Concerts are given here but it is not a theater.
Writing meetings are held, but it is not a cultural association.
A church may begin with a building, but it is always grounded in a story that leads to a universal message.
My pleasure to be your guide if you want, but we are not in the Uffizi. The art here is not art for itself.
Here somebody was willing to live his life to make the true star of this place wide known: JESUS 💖
