Day 5 - hanging out with the cool priest

Finding out it was possible to buy bishop's robes and priest's cardigans, we planned on doing a little ecclesiastical shopping after lunch.

But how much better is it to go shopping there with a priest.  And a priest who is a professor of the philosophy of art in Rome.  And a priest who is fun to be with and likes the same kind of food and wine we do. 

Father John is one such priest, 'the cool priest' as our friends call him.

We met over coffee and immediately got engaged in deep converastion, and then moved the party to Enoteca Corsi, where we ensconced ourselves (Father John is well known at the establishment was lead through to the back of the place) in a corner surrounded by wine reaching from floor to ceiling. 

The owner ordered for us with Father John's help and our encouragement and it wasn't long before the 5 brains around the table all started clicking and popping with discourse on various topics and musings.   Well, what did you expect with a priest, an architect, two writers and a knowledge consultant, four of which work with the post-secondary education sector, and all of whom travel, read, and question for a living?  It might just have been one of the best lunches of my life.

Wandering around the streets of the old centre with a art philosopher and an architect provides a special sort of perspective as well. I would have passed these buildings with much of a thought, but looking at it with these two guys opened up my eyes to this mashup.  Which came first do you think - the church or the house?  And which building claims those two windows in the middle? 

The only Gothic church (Basilica of St. Mary over Minerva, so named as it was built over an ancient temple to the goddess Minerva, a favourite of mine as she is the goddess of wisdom) was seen anew too from its ancient flood markings on the outside (and Bernini's elephant scupture out front) to the art inside.

There were tombs of popes and St. Catherine (except her head which is in Siena) but Father John pointed out something I've never seen on a grave before - both Roman and Arabic numbers at the same time (on artist Fra Angelo's grave). 

 

I could have stayed so much longer and was especially rivted by one particular fresco by Lippi,  an absolutely gorgeous Assumption that includes Pope Paul IV being presented to the Virgin Mary by Thomas Aquinas (another historical mashup!)

Ok, ok, Martin I hear you - let's go buy some cardinal's socks!