Last Day of February

Look! Flowers!

Church Continued

C

Still looking at a side chapel, this with Gospel scenes surrounding the center figures. 

This was my favorite: a cherub hiding in that side chapel in a niche unseen by the congregation, and seemingly indulging in a box of chocolates. 

This church must have been well-to-do; the marbles are real, not painted wood, as we have seen frequently elsewhere.

A pre-renovation remnant of a Medieval fresco.

And in the back, by the entrance, the old Baptismal font and chapel, unmarred by disinfectant, with a quite fine fresco of the Baptism of Jesus. 

A harumphing cherub by the narthex door. Bye, cherubs. 

The very weathered church door.

The church portal, not updated in Baroque renovation. 

Next, the church grounds…..

More In the Church

B

More of the interior details.

Detail of the pulpit, behold cherubs.

Ceiling of a side chapel, with more cherubs

Two and three dimensional art, and light

the high Altar with grown up angels

The chancel windows, with large, but not grown up cherubs

A well-populated door

Lots of silver and gold, and yes it is real

The side chapel on the other side – this one was special, besides lots of cherubs

Everywhere
But look at all the paintings

The whole story of Christ's life was depicted

and profusely decorated 

and cherubs watched over it all

Even in corners not seen much

Look closely at the medallions surrounding the altar. These are the Gospel story depictions, quite marvellous. 

 To be continued, with more cherubs....

The Church in Santa Maria

 A

Inside the church courtyard
A Christian church has been on this site since at least the 1100's. 
This whole area has been settled as long as people have been in Europe. Stone Age settlement from at least 2000 B.C. have been found in the valley, with successive layers of artefacts and construction remnants and burial tombs above the lowest layers, from "Ice Age" to Bronze Age and Iron Age to our time. 

Next to the Church is a pretty cemetery with fine stone work tombstones.

The church is named Santa Maria Assunta Calanca, meaning The Assumption of the Virgin church in the Calanca region.
It has Baroque overlays of decoration on a medieval form, with a few glimpses of old frescos still visible on some walls.

The Pulpit is quite unique, not a type I have seen before, with trumpeting angels, but highly appropriate to a pulpit.

The ceiling is one of the most noteworthy parts of the church, a remnant of earlier days.

The pulpit canopy, to deflect the preacher’s voice down and outward.

Part of a side altar

Some of the multitudes of cherubs

Where one can give his pinch of incense to the secular Emperor, to be worshipped first and foremost, we are told...
From the Baptismal font, no less

A very large wall mural

A disturbing painting, by someone who tried hard to copy the Renaissance style, but was not quite competent enough. That baby's head is larger than the mother's and the limb proportions..... 
Well, we all have made such dreadful works, but at least ours were not on display at a church for centuries for reverence.

How many of us would be happy to have just one of the art works in this random corner?

A fine wood sculpture

A floor tomb

The light was lovely

... despite certain paintings

To Be Continued...

Another Day, Another Walk

 To Santa Maria

I was away, then busy, but finally here are some more pictures of our trip to Graubunden.

The path along the switchback roads to the town.

Another chapel, which you can just barely see along the top road in the photo above – the white wedge at the end of the stone wall along the road, in the middle left of the photo.  This chapel was full of The Virgin.

Statues, frescos, and prints. These are entirely open to all seasons, merely under a roof. 

The ceiling under said roof.

Arriving into the town, and trying to decide which route one takes to get to the church.

Every route is scenic, so it doesn't matter. This is someone's back yard. Note the  Italian style of fencing and pergola supports of granite. 

And picnic table

Tiny little doors, partly because people were very short, and so were the animals, and partly to keep

 the cold out in the winter. Normally at the end of January – when we were there – this area has a half meter of snow, we were told. But it just happened to be balmy right then, for us, which we much appreciated.

EVERYTHING was on a different level.

The stone work is beautiful and ubiquitous .

Another very small chapel on the corner of the approach to the church. Note the roof.

How one gets to church – you do not drive up to a big parking lot. And your car could not fit through  that arch, if you could drive up. And beyond that archway is a little courtyard, then another entryway – maybe one feels equipped to defend the faith from attacking infidels, or Corona checkers, which might be a redundancy. 

One of the many stone paths rambling through the town, up and down the slopes.

Presently empty, but once a home above and barn below.

The neighbourhood

In the church outer church courtyard, stone, stone and stone.

Do we like that tree? We DO!

Next time, more of the church area.