SANTA MARIA IN ORGANO: FLAMES...

Flames In Organo

Stepping into an expected austerity,

A pervading stillness

And uneasy peace, my confidence ruffled;

A sense of belonging escaped me,

The cold ceremonial antiquity muffled

As I gaped, motionless

At magnificent carvings,

Inlaid marquetry and wonderful carpentry

By Fra Giovanni, created over a quarter-century

Which dazzled, beguiled and baffled…

Stepping down into a sullen, dank crypt,

An overriding simplicity

And undue unease my presence befuddled;

A tense dawning then gripped me,

For a simmer of flames huddled

As I gazed, witless

At partial wall-paintings,

Portraying imagery and warning humanity

Of Hell’s fate, invented in a medieval century

Which amazed, intrigued but addled…

Pete Ray

June 2017

Santa Maria in Organo church, Verona…

Incredible carving by Giovanni was the highlight inside the church, as well as two signs displaying where the 1882 flood reached and the crypt’s faded wall-paintings which certainly included Hell’s flames…

FRA GIOVANNI...

...HIS FINAL WORK...

REMARKABLE...

THE ARENA...

CRYPT ALTAR...