A shot of the swans at Lake Como
While in Portofino and on the few days we did go about sightseeing, we did stop to take a pew if you will, in three different houses of worship. I know, I'm still amazed these very old places still stand after I have step foot in them. While no means am I religious, and not even sure that I buy all the written bible crap, I do enjoy a good church and it's architecture. After being now in Vienna, Budapest, Nuremberg, Costa Rica and Buenos Aires, it amazes me just how old some of these churches are compared to our own here state side. The first was Basilica of Saint Abbondio in Lake Como.
The Basilica di Sant' Abbondio is a great example of Como Romanesque. It is located outside the town walls, at the Monte Croce, along via Regina. In the 9th century, the church was dedicated to San't Abbondio, former bishop of Como, buried here since the 5th century. In 1010 bishop Alberico sent here a community of Benedictine monks who started reconstructing the church. The church has two notable bell towers rising at the one end. The sober building has seven stained glass windows, and a portal. I thought the Romanesque bas reliefs and the main apse were of note.
A smaller, weatherbeaten, but soulful church is muted yellow, much different, much simpler in the area then the other two, looking out to the sea on two sides and one with a view of Portofino. San Giorgio according to a plaque inside, the church was erected in 1154, although further excavations- made in the reconstruction after Second World War, have allowed the discovery of ancient square chapels dating back to perhaps the time of the Lombards in Liguria. Some renovation was carried out in 1760. During the Second World War the church was destroyed entirely by a bomb dropped from a aircraft. The current structure is a result of the reconstruction that took place in 1950 when new alters and fixtures were built. But the relics of Saint George, patron saint of Portofino are still kept in inside.
The final was the Church of San Martino.
Another oldie. The Church od San Martino is in the Romanesque style and dedicated to Saunt Martin of Tours. It's believed the church was also probably built in the 12 century, although some documents made mention of 1130. The church's bell tower can see seen from all over town. San Martino is a richly appointed church...with great stonework, marble decoration in and out, many golden textures, stained glass windows and impressive cravings and artworks. The interior is bright, decorated with frescoes, huge chandeliers and massive columns, a huge organ, and many very valuable paintings and sculptures which are believed to date to the 17th and 18th centuries.
In the life of these churches, I felt like a blink of the eye in time.
great journey and great tastes!
ReplyDeleteThe talent, craft, and workmanship that went into these structures and continues in their maintenance is phenomenal. Maybe money better spent elsewhere, but I can't help but appreciate the creativity and skill.
ReplyDeleteI can't even imagine they would even know how, or want to do this craftsmanship these days. It rather saddens me some days to see how disposable we have become. Yet they stand, while we have new structures already crumbling.
DeleteI echo Mitchell's thoughts, though I should point out that until, arguably, the 19th century, there really was no "elsewhere" as there was no separation of church and state, and religion was indeed the artist's, architect's, and craftsman's primary patron. If you wanted to make a living from your art, you had better learn to draw Jesus.
DeleteMalheureusement, bon nombre de ces compétences nécessaires à l'entretien à la réparation et à la restauration des œuvres d'art et des bâtiments disparaissent.
DeleteTrès peu ont la patience requise pour ces compétences exigeantes et fines.
- Beau Mec à Deauville
Beau mec.... Je crains que vous n’ayez raison à ce sujet. Je suis sûr qu’il s’agit d’une forme d’art et d’occupation en voie de disparition. Nous devrions profiter de ces structures tant qu’elles sont encore là.
DeleteExquisite craftsmanship!
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite quotes is from Mark Doty:
ReplyDelete"I am not, anymore, a Christian, but I am lifted and opened by any space with prayer inside."
That's how I feel about churches; the prayer is hope; the church is not.
Churches are just fabulous pieces of architecture.
So well said!
DeleteI too love that quote, Bob!!!! The most fabulous churches I have seen to date were in Vienna and surprisingly Buenos Aires, they were just so massive there and ornate.
DeleteWe are but a blink of the eye in the progress of history.
ReplyDeleteYou do seem to go to a lot of churches.
ReplyDeleteI like to tempt fate!
DeleteI would have trouble going in...whenever I do, there is a ground tremor and pretty loud thunderclaps. LOL.
ReplyDeleteBut, seriously, some of those ancient places are stunning. The US is too young to have such beauty. The again, here in the US we seem to prefer blowing up old things rather than preserving them.
A sad commentary isn't it? And we keep building and tearing up more land, while oodles of buildings and strip malls sit empty. God forbid we have any land or parks just to let be. While the old empty building should be utilized instead of building more.
DeleteMême en Europe, de nombreux beaux bâtiments ont été démolis :(
DeleteExemples - Château Miranda, Belgique d. 1991- Imperial Hotel, Londres d. 1967
Eglise Sint Vincentius, Amsterdam d. 1989 - Les Halles, Paris d. 1973
Rome a subi les démolitions de Mussolini et Bucarest les démolitions de Ceausescu.
- Beau Mec à Deauville
The US is really bad about leveling old building.
DeleteI agree, with all, we have way too many empty buildings and unused commercial properties sitting empty, yet we level more land for more buildings. I don't understand it.
DeleteIt never fails to amaze me how intricate some of these church interiors in other countries are.
ReplyDeleteThey are all so pretty, but there is something very charming about that yellow church. I can remember seeing it on Hotel Portofino! I don't believe in myths either, but do love the architecture.
ReplyDeleteThey might not look like much, simple, from the outside, but they are all charming on the inside. I love that you try to experience what you can when you travel.
ReplyDeleteVery neat buildings.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful; alas, the church over the road only originated in the 10th century and mucked about by the Victorians, who have a lot to answer for.
ReplyDeleteI love Italianate Medieval architecture - and some of those churches are awesome! When it comes to "old buildings", however... I grew up in Caerleon in Wales, the Roman fortress of Isca, and right next to our school were the remains of barracks and an amphitheatre built in around AD76, and our house was just up the road from an Iron Age hillfort dating back to the 5th century BC. The village church was built on the site of the Roman legionary HQ and possibly dates back to the 6th century AD, although the current structure is a twelfth/thirteenth century Norman replacement... Jx
ReplyDeleteNow that is old! Are any of the structures still standing? I assume they are all remains?
DeleteEvery time I hear of Iron Age remains, it reminds me of the episode of Keeping Up Appearances of Richard and Hyacinth seeking out Iron Age remains, and found him , at her orders to climb a tree to seek a better viewpoint.
Oh, the Roman remains are all there to see, especially the amphitheatre, the foundations of the barrcks, and (more recently) there's been an excavation of the old Roman baths as well [imagine the shenanigans thet went on there!]. The hillfort is on private property unfortunately, but apparently any buildings that would have been on the site were wooden so all that remains is the earthworks that surrounded ithem. Jx
DeleteStill very interesting, however. It's rather mind-blowing the age. I can't imagine any shenanigans going on in a Roman bath. Nope not I.
DeleteI am really loving your pictures from the trip. I told my boyfriend we need to put Portofino on our bucket list...ASAP! These pictures and their beauty blow my mind.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you.
ReplyDeleteI could not care less about religion, but old churches? Sign me up! This is a fab selection. It amazes me that they've been standing for centuries and centuries. Love it.
XOXO
Beautiful travels!!!!! I'm can also agree...I'm far from church going and believe in the Bible, but I'm a sucker for church architecture. I can't help but wonder, did you get on your knees?
ReplyDeleteNotre maîtresse a un goût raffinée et est très cultivée :)
ReplyDelete- Beau Mec à Deauville
Ton trop gentil beau gars. Disons que j’ai fait le tour du pâté de maisons. Parfois! LOL !
DeleteYou had me with the first picture with the swans! Beautiful!!! When we traveled, William and I would always take in a few churches. I'm sure had me made it there, Portofino would have been no different. Thoroughly enjoying these post Mistress.
ReplyDelete