A Burst of Sunshine
The Cathedral is evocative in the gloom, but it takes a burst of sunshine, as this afternoon, to draw out its full beauty. This photograph, taken in the north transept, shows clearly the line between the finished marble decoration, and the bare brick awaiting its mosaics. The green marble (verde antico) comes from the same quarries that supplies marble for Haghia Sophia and Ravenna. The double 'red stripe' decoration is a copy of that in the great church in Istanbul. Visible on the pier, to the right of the picture, is the bronze of St Theresa by Giacomo Manzu' - a rare departure from our mosaic scheme, but a masterwork by this artist who was the favourite of Pope John XXIII. This is the only work by Manzu' outside Italy.
3 comments:
Fascinating!
Father, is there any intention to complete the decoration of the interior of the Cathedral?
When would all of this be completed?
it was always the intention of our founders to complete the interior decorations, generaton by generation - there is no timescale to this, only the restrictions of financing! I will be posting soon the schema for the interior mosaics in the nave, and I have already had some interest from potential donors. Meanwhile, the decoration of the side chapels continues; we hope to have designs for mosaics of St Francis and St Anthony approved in the spring, as well as St Ambrose and St Augustine. Watch this space!
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