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Silence and Belief |
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written
by zinnia / 10.24.2005 |
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| Silence and Belief |
1 of 1 |
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Assignment |
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I have been to gardens more beautiful than that of Santi Quattro Coronati, even some that are quieter, but something about this cloister hushed the unsettling voices inside me, serenity embraced me. I was most impressed with the ability of the place to create an illusion of quietness for its visitors. Because of the nuns’ vow of silence, visitors try their hardest not to speak for fear of disturbance. On certain occasions this action had an opposite effect. In a faint of attempt of preserving the silence, people with the need to verbalize whisper their crucial sentences to each other. Even with the voices suppressed, in a place of utter silence the murmurs appear elevated in volume. Miraculously, the surrounding diminishes this bother to a minimum. Resting in the ambulatory my mind had tuned out voices of people talking, only when I turned to see the several bypassers in conversation did I acknowledge their presence. My thoughts that gathered as a result of the environment seemed to conjure an imaginary bubble around me.
The square cloister encases a garden paved with pebble stones, not too big and not too small. The upper level walls are painted in solid faded orange pastel without frescos and friezes. In its entirety the cloister is very simple, almost plain. Being in there I contemplated on everything, my mind blissfully wondered about. In the end though I couldn’t remember any specific reflection, but nonetheless enjoyed the pleasant feeling, which I can only assume arose from that experience. It is precisely because of the lack of exquisite design (and communication with each other) that people can get in touch with their spiritual side. In my case, thoughts on everything and nothing.
Villa D’Este is a perfect counterpart to Santi Quattro Coronati. It is grand in size, many times the dimensions of the convent. The interminable openness is in sharp contrast to the nunnery’s confined quarters. To remain stationary is out of the question in the villa, sceneries of waterfalls, out of the ordinary statues, and landscapes comparable to beautified paintings provide irrefusable temptation to lure you away from your current position. Maps have to be handed out so people do not get lost in the villa’s meandering detours. At the cloister however, with the straightforward and enclosing space, being still is the only thing to do. Despite the heavenly sceneries, plenty of thoughts do come to mind. This time I am able to recall. My thoughts revolved around happy things; with mostly reminiscence of laughter and childhood memories. Occasionally there would be a few silly fantasies and wishes come true. Also a place of enjoyment, the delight one receives from Villa D’Este derives from existing familiarities, where as the cloister offers satisfaction through self exploration.
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