This blog isn't a blog about daily events or my adventures in Italy but will tackle the issue and explain my feelings about being a Jew, yet having been so powerfully affected by the insides of the cathedrals I have seen so far in Florence and Siena. Unlike when walking into cathedrals in America or even the synagogues so far I have seen in Italy, I have been totally blown away by the artwork and its religious and symbolic power in the cathedrals. This artwork tells the stories just as if it was read in a book but in a visual more powerful way. Me not being a very religious person, this abroad experience is more of a beginning to my religious education rather than a furthering of the learnings of certain topics that maybe some of the other students are experiencing. When walking into all the cathedrals I have seen so far I feel blown away by the extent of how these artists are consumed in their religion and that religion must of completely taken over the lives of these artists at the time that the artwork was made. I feel as though the meaning behind why these certain artists took the time to create the ceilings and art in the cathedrals goes behind anything I could ever image both religiously and artistically. The caliber of artwork created must entail passion for both art and religion to an extent that will never be seen again. In addition, unlike in the states, the art in these cathedrals bring tourist and money to these spots even for people who are of a different religion or have no interest in the religion aspect itself. Unlike in U.S. churches, these cathedrals can become areas of where scenic power is captured rather than religious power even though the majority of visitors may be there for the opposite reason. The work is truly so powerful that I am speechless when I enter certain cathedrals.
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