I left my heart in Pienza

Good morning from foggy Cortona town!


We had a bit of rain last night, the first since our arrivals here, and things do seem a bit more gray. That's ok though. Too many green pastures around this place. :) I do suppose that helps turn my attention away from the view and back to the art history paper that I am needing to write. But I'll blog for now... anything to keep the real work at bay.

This weekend we were herded once again on a bus and ended up in Pienza, the first of our three stops. Ahh, Pienza. I do believe that I left a little piece of my heart there. If I thought Cortona was small, Pienza is tiny! But you need a brief art history lesson I do believe: Pope Pius II was born here, so when he became pope, he brought his sentimental self back to revamp his hometown. The Renaissance ideal city was just creeping onto the scene, so Pius jumped at the chance to demolish, and then build up Pienza. Instead of two piazzas in medieval towns (like Volterra and Cortona) Pienza has one with both religious and secular buildings surrounded the square. A perfect blend of church and state you might say. His new church, though, is fara from perfect. Determined to build it around this main piazza, the church juts out of the hillside, and its foundations are a little less stable than I'm comfortable with. Infact, the church is slowly splitting in two, despite recent attempts to fix a foundation that never should have been. Anyway, back to Pius.

A main street runs from one end of the city to the other you are supposed to be able to stand in the middle and see out both ends. Finally, all the little alleyways are designed to be straight so that as you walk by, you can see the rolling Tuscan landscape below with no defense wall or buildings blocking your view. A marvelous idea. Beautifully designed. But Pius died, and no one else cared enough to carry out his dreams of Renaissance ideal in this dot on the map town. So today it stands, half medival, half Renaissance. Some streets are straight and look out to the valley below, and some twist and turn and you think you'll never see the light of day again. It's wonderfully unique and quaint, but I had class the morning that we came, so I was walking around with my teacher and not able to take pictures, which is a shame. But, if any of you decide to buy and ticket and visit me... then we'll visit Pienza for sure.

Montepulciano was not nearly as exciting and acted more like a ghost town out of an old western. 70% of the shops and caffes were closed up tight and refuse to open until more tourists arrive. But I managed a little time in the Duomo (the town's main church) and watched the believers come and pray and the tourist come and stare at the paintings and architecture and sculpture. These churches are so beautiful and need hours to really swallow and take in, but they are so cold and uninviting to me. Even when I went to mass last week, and the church was packed with little room to move, it feels very different than any church I've ever attended. I guess I'm walking away with an impression of a big, powerful God, rather than a personal, open-armed God. Both are necessary. Anyway, I digress. The churches are big here. That's all I have to say about that!

Last bit of news before I finally pull out the books. An Italian hairdresser in town apparently is a pretty big deal around here, and he gives shows (I had no idea hair dressers did shows). Anyway, he needed 6 hair models and I am one of them! He's going to dye it on Wednesday and cut it next Monday in Arezzo. But I think I won't tell you about it. I'll just post the pictures and you can see for yourself. I'm nervous, but it will be fun I think. And he seems good. I think. I hope!

OK, off to study. Here's my email again if anyone is reading but can't figure out how to comment caseynberry@gmail.com I love you all! Arrivederci - Casey