Videos are coming!

A quick thank-you

The magnificent crypt church of San Magno in Agnani, Lazio, called the “Sistine Chapel of the middle ages.” Some of the best preserved and most vibrant Italian Romanesque frescos in the country.

Since we’ve had such a great burst in the last few weeks of new subscribers, especially new paid members, I thought readers would like to know that their investment is being used productively. All the hopes I have for this project are being made possible by your participation. And in the last few days, because there has been such a flood of new subscribers, I’ve been able to buy the basic kit needed for - finally! - starting the next stage: videos.

Tomorrow a great friend is arriving - all the way from California - for her first visit in 3+ years, and we’re going to go see some fantastic and little-known art sites. We haven’t quite nailed down the itinerary yet, but I’m particularly I’m looking forward to seeing the incredible crypt church of San Magno, known in Italy as the “Sistine Chapel of the middle ages”.

The hermit caves of Vicovaro, where, after asking him to come and be their monastic superior, the monks became so enraged by St. Benedict’s attempts to reform them that they tried to murder him.

Since at least the time I arrived in Italy, I’ve had the dream of making documentary videos of the wonderful treasures of art that are all over the place here, but which almost no one in the Anglosphere knows anything about outside a small circle of enthusiasts.

Votive frescos in the 11th century church of San Giovenale (Juvenal) in Orvieto. Dating from 1004 and built on the site of an Etruscan temple, Chiesa San Giovanale is the oldest church in Orvieto. What are “votive frescos”? SO glad you asked!

Everyone goes to Florence to see the David or to the Vatican to see the Pieta, because these are the celebrity art works that are on all the calendars, coffee cups and tote bags. They go because they want to have seen them, to tick them off the list. What I’m aiming at with this work is to help people come to a deeper appreciation of a wider range of objects, eras and meanings, things that are magnificent and important but will never make it onto the printed tea towels sold in Florentine trinket shops.

Also, I’ve always wanted to follow in the footsteps of Sir Kenneth Clark and Sister Wendy.

All this tech is a bit outside my zone, but there’s a whole world of YouTube videos explaining how to use them to people like me having a first go.

So, with that aim in mind, this week I ordered - and have been working out how to use - a gimbal for the phone, so no more shaky-cam hand-held videos; and this evening have ordered a table microphone and headphones. The plan is to do “faceless” videos, where you see the works, and I write and record a voiceover explaining them. A friend with professional level skills has volunteered to do the editing, so I’ve got high hopes for good quality.

Gentile da Fabriano, Madonna of Orvieto. Orvieto Duomo.

I hope these short trips will be the beginning of many happy times for all of us visiting these wonderful things together.

In the meantime, it all means I’m going to be mostly offline for the next week or so. So we won’t be having our usual posts. But it also means great things are coming, if all goes well.

Talk soon.

HJMW

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