The New Infinity (title of the Marche tourism brochure we got in Fabriano)
Saturday- I took a fantastic little adventure to Fabriano with my friend Chelsea. Little know fact-there is an entire museum dedicated to the paper making process in Fabriano, because it was here that many fine techniques for paper making were invented, including the watermark. Chelsea, is a bit of book fanatic, and consequently loves paper. I was eager to do some exploring of the local area., and thought that a paper museum might be interesting...
History is a narrative that we invent now (Professor Marc)
So we began our day with the train from Macerata to Fabriano-success. Once in Fabriano, we managed to procure a map, for free (either I have simply gotten lucky, or maps are often free here) Then, we found the paper museum on said map and began to head in that direction, with the intention of stopping for a small snack along the way.
While we were standing at an intersection, an older Italian man came up and asked us if we were from Fabriano and where we were headed. He was very nice, and talkative, but missing a few teeth, and therefore a little difficult to understand (Chelsea has 2 years of Italian under her belt, but was also struggling) When we told him our destination, he gave us directions involving hand gestures, a park, a bank and a post office… What we were supposed to be doing at each of those landmarks, neither of us were certain, but we did figure out that we at least had the right general heading out of the train station. We thanked him and moved on to the pastry shop across the street.
After a brief bout of mild disorientation, we arrived at the museum, having encountered what we assumed to be the aforementioned landmarks. The museum gave tours in English, which after some slight miscommunications we were able to take. It was just the two of us and our guide who wants to get a masters degree in tourism. She explained all about the paper making process to us, and allowed us to take pictures when the guide giving the tour in Italian was not around. We saw how rags were originally turned into pulp, and even got to feel some of the pulpy water (one of the best parts about this museum was the fact that you were allowed to touch many of the exhibits) We also saw how “simple” light water marks were made, by hand sewing designs onto the sieve so that when the pulp, which is 90% water, is pulled out of the vat, it will be thinner in those areas.
Art is the manipulation of Objects and Elements into something new (art history class)
The reason I called those simple water marks is because of what we encountered next, dark and light watermarks. There are made from a bas-relief carved on a wax mold, which is then used to make 2 copper casts, that fit together and the two copper pieces are then pressed over the sieve causing it to have different depths and thicknesses when it catches the pulp. The result is breathtaking. Artisans in Farbriano have recreated famous paintings using this technique, and they look almost like monochromatic copies, it seems impossible that these intricate designs and distinct shadows are actually in the paper. I bought one… so you will be able to see it.
At the end of our tour, we asked our guide where we could go for lunch, and followed her advice. After getting some lovely gnocchi tucked away in our stomachs, we began to wander about the city, stopping occasionally for Chelsea to draw out our path of breadcrumbs on the map. At one point we ended up at the same intersection, opposite corner where we met the old man, and we saw him again, this time with his wife. He wanted to make sure we found the museum and that we bought ourselves some prizes. He looked at the pieces we each picked out and then he and his wife explained how to display them. He was so sweet, and seeing him twice was quite a highlight.
Lots of wandering, some gelato, and a nap on some church steps later, we headed back to the train station, feeling tired but quite victorious. We had entered a city with a goal, reached it, found nourishment, wandered, and returned to the train station, with only brief periods of disorientation. We both brought our umbrellas, so it didn’t rain, and the day was wonderful.
Sunday- Laundry, housecleaning, and a wander around Macerata with Lisa. Relaxed, and easy, the weather was nice and cool… which we are discovering causes the clothing to take longer to dry…a revelation that is somewhat distressing considering the popular trend in this hemisphere of air chilling as it gets closer to winter. The air temperature is important, because we dry our clothing with simple, untreated air… not fancy machines.
Lose it in sweet music, and dance with me (Macy Gray)
Monday- We had our last 3 hours long intensive Italian class, because we are finally starting our official classes this week. I had a planning/brainstorming session with my travel buddy Chelsea for our trip to the north (the ALPS!!!!!) on our 10 day break in October. Then, I went to my first Italian dance class. It’s a modern class at the University of Macerata Rec Center. Another girl from my program, Rosie, is also in the class. It was so much fun, I think it have been almost 2 months since my feet hit dance floor, and it was fantastic. Pretty sure I am going to be a bit sore in the morning, but it will be worth it, and the class is twice a week, so I will be going again on Wednesday. It is some form of intermediate level, and our teacher’s name is Monica. I also met 4 girls from the European based study abroad group that is in Macerata, 4 from Spain and one from France. All in all, it looks like it is going to be a wonderful class.
Tuesday- Full day of classes…. A bit tiring, but at the end of it, we had a lovely little dinner at our house with a few friends. Lots of talking and laughing, and a very crowded kitchen, but crowded in the best way. We also had a sampling of treats from the chocolate shop that is ever so conveniently placed just a short trip out the front door…. This may be a problem for me later, but for now we are just enjoying it.
I met my “tandem” partner Thursday, it is an optional program where we are paired with Italian students who are looking to learn more English and more about the US. My partner’s name is Giulia, and I think we are going to have a great time. We will get together for a couple hours each week to give me a chance to practice my Italian and another chance to get to know an Italian student.
See the sky and all the land together again.... (Tally Hall)
Friday, our excursion included an optional hike…which I opted out of. It felt a little too intense for my taste based on the description. So instead, I got to meet a wolf-dog (he was very nice, and a world champion in shows) and go to a town called Gubbio, near the monastery we would be visiting that afternoon. Gubbio was quite lovely, we visited their cathedral, and also walked “on-set” for an Italian TV show that is filmed there, I don’t recall the name of the show, but it is about a crime solving priest I believe.
I loved the Monastery in Fonteavella. There is something about the heavy stone walls that feels very safe and protective, when they could easily feel a little scary since they are so heavy, and there are not tons of windows. But I did love the windows in this particular monastery. They were stained glass but the design was simple and elegant and there was a consistent theme throughout. They were mostly white with a few veins of lead running through them, mostly vertically and on one side. Then there was a flash of golden yellow, like a brush stroke….hard to describe and photography was not allowed, but if I can get my hands on some watercolors, we are in business with a few copies.
I have discovered that I love the sound of old church bells even more than I knew, especially hearing them in a small secluded abbey in the mountains. The sound is like a call that rings straight though me, incredible.
Also incredible though, today we saw a manuscript that is like the rosetta stone of music. It has some of the earliest notations of music that we have, and they are what modern notation is based on. The book itself was written on parchment in this monastery, and has been kept there. One of the monks made an incredible exception and brought the book down for us to see. None of us could touch it of course, but we could see the pages, the perfect writing, each letter hand drawn. Sadly, I do not currently recall the year it was written, but it is hundred of years old. Unbelieveable.
Like a tree with many leaves… (art history)
This week has really been a reminder about the simple pleasures and the little things in life. I found (thanks to Chelsea) the fair trade shop in town. I also made myself a little bit of Argentine chimmichurri, and bought a jar of Nutella. Tuesday night, Erin and I had one of those amazing conversations where you COMPLETELY lose track of time, and ended up a bit worn out on Wednesday, but I didn’t really care. Visiting the monastery in Fonteavellana was beyond incredible. Walking through the stoen hallways in silence and hearing the call of the bells was more amazing than I could have imagined.
Lots of pictures going up on facebook this weekend!
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