Art History Field Trip to Assisi

Since I only have five weekends left here, I decided to mix up my fun and care-free travels with something a little more serious. So this past weekend I joined in on the art history class's field trip to Assisi, Arezzo, Urbino, and some other small random towns and seemed to hold significance to everyone but me. I went a long because I wanted to see Assisi, the trip was free including hotel, and all my friends were going. It sounds great, being able to go to all these museums, hear vital information about the architecture of churches and frescoes, but once you meet the teacher, Helen, you would understand the seriousness of the situation.

Helen has no last name, like Madonna, or Sting. She is either a well kept 70 or a hard lived 50. I tried to look at her hands as an indicator, but they never stayed still. She is a whirlwind, walking at a pace even my parents would have trouble keeping up with and constantly spouting a fountain of encyclopedic knowledge regarding every detail of a painting or church. She could talk for two hours about an alter that looks like every other renaissance alter, in fact she did talk for two hours about said alter, always in the same tone, no voice infliction is ever used.

Luckily for me though, I am not in the class and will not have to take a test on the information, so after about ten minutes I would simply shut of my headset with her voice being pounded into my skull, and walk around the church or museum in silence. I got to see some amazing things, including St. Francis church where his tomb is. It is the most elaborately decorated church, covered in frescoes that even I could love. His tomb is simply, fitting with his lifestyle, and surrounded by monks and other pilgrims, silently praying. We saw his old cell where there is a statue of him that two turtle doves live in. A long time ago a dove built a nest in the statue's hands and two of them have been there ever since. I am trying to stay idealistic and ignore the fact they are probably trained pets and simply a tourist attractions. Assisi, Arezzo, and Urbino are adorable walled cities, bustling with old women in aprons, men leaning out the window sills, fresh back bread and church bells. I tried to take in as much of the towns charm as possible as we speed walked across it, all of Helen's body titled forwards to propel herself as much as possible.

In Urbino we got a tour of the palace were Duke Fredrich lived (the man in that painting in the Uffizi with the huge nose). We saw the servant’s quarters, the master chambers, and heard all about the paintings that adorned the walls. I tried to listen, but at one point I started taking pictures with my friends trying to poise like the Duke instead.

There was lots of driving in the bus, but at the end of the day Saturday we were rewarded with an amazing farm fresh dinner at our "hotel". Eating family style with about half the kids of SACI was really fun and I got to know a lot of people I never would of meet otherwise. The unlimited wine helped this friendly atmosphere and by the time our four course dinner was done everyone immediately went to bed. That’s what a full day of art history does to you, makes you fall fast asleep despite the fact it was barely ten o'clock. Sunday was filled with more driving and art learning. I saw the only painting of a pregnant Virgin Mary, climbed a hill to an old tower, saw frescoes and paintings and "miracle crosses" until I had art knowledge coming out of my ears.
It was all worth it though, I don't think I would have made it to these small towns on my own, and hey, now if it ever comes up, I can talk about the different between Pietro's frescoes and Davied's in the Marches church. Oh I also saw Rapheals house, well his parent’s house, but he was born there. I only know he matters because a turtle ranger is named after him, but to everyone else in the class this was like the holy shrine of Renaissance painting. I looked interested, but really I was just eating gummy bears.