The Scrovegni Chapel is a jewel of Italian art. Walking inside feels like opening a precious box. You step through the door, look around in wonder, and gradually your eyes lift toward the procession of scenes unfolding all around you. You enter into their stories. The dream of Joachim among the shepherds. The birth of Mary. Mary promised as a bride to Joseph. And all the way around, just below the ceiling, that luminous blue sky scattered with stars and the moon. These early scenes feel distant in time, wrapped in silence. But as your eyes descend, you recognize the scenes from the life of Jesus, and they appear shockingly ALIVE, human, devastating. The kiss of Judas—so powerful, with Jesus's gaze penetrating straight into his heart. The Deposition, the weeping of the angels, that descent into sorrow.
We came from San Giuseppe della Pace—nearly all of us made the trip. Three hours by coach from Milan to Padua is no small journey, yet the time passed quickly. We had Lia with us, the sister of Maria Goffi, a true professional who prepared us for our meeting with Giotto and his chapel. She explained everything clearly and simply, and she knows her subject well. Chiara had brought along a detailed catalog book with photographs we passed around, studying them with real interest. Recognizing the scenes once we arrived made the encounter with this great work of art so much richer. Filomena came too, in her wheelchair, all the way from Cremona—her sister and brother-in-law picked her up at a motorway exit, as they do for special occasions. The day also included a visit to the Basilica of Saint Anthony, where we saw Donatello's famous monument to Gattamelata. The friars welcomed us there and we had our packed lunch in their care.
When we arrived at the Chapel, friends were waiting to greet us: Adriana and her husband with their son Gianni from the Faith and Light group in Abano, and Silvia's aunts and cousins. It was a full and beautiful day—tiring at moments, certainly—but I believe that for our young people and for all of us, the Scrovegni Chapel will stay in our minds for a long time. It will surface again and again, as great works of art do, enriching our lives, opening our minds wider, leaving us with the desire to see it once more and drink in even more of its beauty. This beauty is a sign of God's splendor and the splendor of all his creatures.
Anna Maria de Rino, 2005
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