|
|
 |
|
Silence and Belief |
|
written
by liu9700 / 10.24.2005 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Silence and Belief |
1 of 1 |
|
| |
Assignment |
| |
When entering the cloister at Santi Quattro Coronati I was really struck with how the space is both confined and open at the same time. The arches that decorated the separation between the hallway and the courtyard in particular are an interesting detail. It allows someone outside the courtyard to be a part of the space while remaining physically divided from it. The walls of the cloister do an excellent job of keeping out the hectic, bustling city of Rome. To me this space promotes a very personal religious experience where the focus is not on the community but the individual. Many of the other religious spaces in Rome are entirely focused on the Church as an institution. Such places use imposing architecture to make the visitor feel small and weak in comparison. Standing before the high altar at Saint Peter’s Basilica I felt like an ant in the rainforest. The grandeur of the place was overwhelming. I remember being especially overcome with the sheer amount of open space. I could not even grasp the scale of it in my mind since I had no reference to judge it against. The emphasis of the Basilica is completely the opposite of that of the cloister. In its high ceilings and broad naves I was forced to wonder what amazing power could have erected such a structure. My own thoughts and beliefs suddenly felt petty and selfish when standing out in the open under the world’s largest dome. At the cloister the walls are close and the ceiling is unlimited. At St. Peter’s Basilica the space is large but not boundless and you stand exposed at its center. There are no arches to sit under and hide from the world, no gardens to lose yourself in. Here there is only the Church, its doctrine and history.
It is interesting to look at how the architecture relates the space to the visitor. It is instinct to find an enclosed place looking out onto an open one attractive. The students visiting the cloister did not sit at its center, but around its edges with their backs to the wall. In doing this we fulfilled a vestigial self-preservation trait. We feel at ease when we are covered from the sight but able to see the world around us. At the cloister I felt safe but at the same time appreciated being able to look out over the gardens and up at the sky. In Saint Peter’s I felt exposed which left me feeling small and powerless. The images that dominated my experiences at these two places were dominant because of this effect. The religious focus of the place also shifted with how comfortable I felt. In the cloister where I was at ease I was able to reflect on myself. In St. Peter’s my thoughts were constantly turned outward. Two religious spaces, two entirely separate experiences. It is interesting to think both are meant to serve the same basic purpose.
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
