Sunday, October 31, 2010
Footsteps: Journey Of An Artist "Not Ferrari, Ferrara (Ferrara, Italia)"
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Podcast Episode Summary
7. Not Ferrari, Ferrara (Ferrara, Italia) I'm not sure why rides back home always seem shorter than the ride going to a new place. I think in this moment, it's the thoughts of Rome still burning in my memory. The basilicas, the coliseum, the people, the culture, the history, the art. Viva Italia man, Viva Italia. After many hours driving we roll into a town called Ferrara and get off the bus in front of a castle surrounded by a moat. Talk about walking through a time portal. The Castle Estense is a huge fortress. A medieval structure complete with towers, moat and drawbridges in the center of town. It's a large block with four corner towers. On the outside, the castle essentially presents the appearance given to it by Girolamo da Carpi in the second half of the 16th century. With three entrances, the fourth entrance, to the east, was sacrificed to make room for the kitchens. The appearance of the building still recalls a mediaeval fortress, bit higher up, da Carpi replaced the battlements with elegant balconies in white stone and graceful roof terraces with a frescoed courtyard. The wells were to provide water in time of drought; the round stone balls that are seen about the place were the ammunition for catapults. A little further down, Ferrara Cathedral is the largest and main basilica in Ferrara and is dedicated to Saint George, the patron saint of Ferrara. The basilica was begun in 12th century AD and consecrated in 1135. The original Romanesque design is manifest in the façade. White marble, a series of loggias, small arcades and rose windows and statues. In the centre of the façade is the porch, supported by two columns with telamons seated on lions at the bases. In the center, a loggia with a the statue "Madonna with Child" We move through the main court and pass by Schifanoia Palace, a Renaissance palace built for the Este family. The name "Schifanoia" is thought to originate from "schivar la noia" meaning literally to "escape from boredom" which describes accurately the original intention of the Palace and the other villas in close proximity. There is definitely nothing boring about this place, in fact there's something beautiful yet eerie about these streets. I could be wrong but I feel like this town has lots of stories and a lot of bones in closets. Its like you can still see the blood stains in the cracks of the cobble stone. For example in 1586 a known musician Gesualdo who married his first cousin, Donna Maria, whom after two years began to have a love affair with Fabrizio, the Duke of Andria. She kept the secret for almost two years, even though elsewhere the existence of the affair was well-known. I feel a Jerry Springer moment coming...wait for it. Finally, on October 16, 1590 Gesualdo pretending to be on a hunting trip returned to the palace, caught them ah... in the act and murdered them both in their bed. Afterward, he left their mutilated bodies in front of the palace for all to see. Two years later but I guess the need to prove to everyone who knew and wondered how he could not know that he did know after all. The good thing was being that he was a nobleman he was immune to prosecution, nice but the bad thing is he's not immune to revenge, so he fled to his castle at Venosa. Josko was telling us another story about a man who walked into two people having sex. Thinking it was his wife having an affair and not wanting to look like a punk in the towns eyes like Gesualdo he killed them both only to find out the couple under the sheets was his parents. Damn. I mean how does one get that image out of one's head? I don't know what's worse the sight of his parents naked or the site of them bloodied up. There ain't enough counseling or mental therapy to fix that shit yet i can't help but wonder what would Dr. Phil would say? " There needs to be trust and communication in a relationship" then grab his wife and walk off the stage. That story took place in this building... We leave the center of Ferrara and head to the Diamond Palace. This is one of the most famous palaces in Italy, as well one of the most influential examples of Renaissance European architecture. Designed by Biagio Rossetti with construction starting in 1493. The most striking feature is its exterior walls which consists of some 8,500 white (with pink veins) marble blocks carved to represent diamonds. Obviously its where its name comes from. The palace today houses the National Gallery of Art in Ferrara with frequent exhibitions. Ferrara is renowned for music as well as for visual arts. The painters established links with Flemish artists and their techniques, exchanging influences in the colors and composition choices. Composers came to Ferrara from many parts of Europe, especially France. Ferrara is also surrounded by more than 9 kilometres of ancient walls, mainly built in the 15th and 16th centuries. Ok enough horsing around, I'm hungry and we gotta be back on the bus soon. We headed back into town and found a nice
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