Sopra Minerva

Today we spent another productive morning in Italian language class with our substitute teacher, Daniella. The eight of us were broken up into four groups to play a verb conjugation game. The winners of the game, Whitney and Christina (team name il cornetto), got free cappuccini compliments of Daniella. After our coffee break we started another game that consisted of having a paper ball heaved at you. If you caught the ball you had to quickly conjugate a verb with a subject dictated by Daniella. Can anyone say hot potato?

Later in the afternoon we guzzled up another snack of doughnut holes as we walked to the Dominican church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. Here we learned that the church is built over the ruins of a temple to Minerva, the goddess of wisdom. Ironically, the wisdom of Galileo wasn’t tolerated as he was tried at this very location.

Don’t get fooled by the plain façade! The interior of the church is tall, ornate, and bathed in fresco. We spent time at the Carafa chapel talking about Filippino di Filippi’s frescos of Cardinal Carafa and St. Thomas Aquinas, a newly-named saint at the time.

Passing the altarpiece we stopped to witness the tombs of the Medici popes, Leo X and Clement VII, located in prime real estate land near the alter. Off to the left of the alter stands Michelangelo’s Risen Christ. We had a long discussion on why this piece has been so harshly criticized as Michelangelo’s worst work. Understanding the actual commission and intended location in a niche, we can better understand the position Michelangelo intended the sculpture to be seen, emphasizing the tools of the Passion.

- Kristin