It has been about a month now since I have been in Florence and today felt like the pinnacle day for me. I have been volunteering my time as a tour guide for the Santa Maria del Fiore, or better known as “The Duomo,” through a program called “Ars et Fides.” It is based on community service and today was my third time going. I meet once a week in the Duomo for two hours, where I provide tours for those interested, but today it was I who almost got the ultimate tour. Considering it is Ash Wednesday for the Catholic religion, many tourists were gathered together taking photos or simply appreciating the church on their own.
So there I was, sitting on this long wooden bench, next to other tour guides, all of different ages, gender, ethnicity, etc. I was fortunate enough to sit next to Amelia (I hope I’m spelling her name correctly). What first struck me about Amelia was her tri-lingual capability. I introduced myself to her in Italian, but asked if she spoke English, which she responded to in perfect English that she did. So, a native Italian who speaks perfect English. Then a tourist came to ask us a question in Spanish. I was staring at him with my eyes wide open, feeling terrible that I had no idea what he was saying and even more so, feeling ashamed that I could not help him. Amelia soon chimed in and it wasn’t after long until my “tour” began. She began telling me facts about the Duomo, about certain symbols and frescoes, about the uniqueness of the stained glass windows, but most of all, about the three Virgin Mary images within the church.
Upon entering the Cathedral, if you turn around and look up at the back wall there are two images of the Virgin Mary that plank the oldest working circular clock situated in a square molding. The image above the clock is in the form of stained glass and the image below is a gold mosaic both of which show the coronation of Mary by Christ. The former image alludes to the time of God, while the latter is grounded in pagan time, in the now and present. What I should first point out, however, is that this specific clock is not how you may envision it to be. It moves counter-clockwise and is divided into 24 hours. It measures the days by starting on the 21st hour of the previous day, or the vesper time, when the monks would engage in a prayer ceremony. In a way, this is a liturgical clock suggesting that the time of life is heading towards the time of Christ, the time of Eternity. This already struck a chord within me, and I knew Amelia still had more to say…The pictures of the Four Prophets or Four Evangelists reside in each corner of the square molding that the clock is situated in, further supporting its religious reference. As you walk through the nave of the church and reach the altar, you will find the last image of the Virgin Mary in a beautiful circular stained glass window twenty-five square meters in diameter. This again depicts Mary’s coronation by Christ, but the fact that there are only two figures within the given dimensions is revolutionary for this time during the 1400s, which frequently were filled with many figures,intricate details, and sophisticaed arrangments of design.
It was this description of the three Mary’s that truly touched me because it describes a journey. You enter the church with Mary in your presence protecting you and guiding you along a vast pavement, but it is you who makes the walk towards your climax, your heaven, and ultimately, reaching God’s eternal salvation. I don’t think it was a coincidence that no one wanted a tour today, but rather it was a way for me to be guided towards the light of God. Having the sight of a delicate light shine through red umber and crimson blue glass is something that visually I don’t think will ever be able to escape my mind.
I am thankful for this current journey I am on, and most of all, I am thankful that the walk I am currently on is heading towards the time of the Eternal.
