Religion seems to change its message every so often. But what about the messages being sent from the art in churches? In Siena, the duomo contains some interesting folks who are big in the church hierarchy. They seem quite stern, almost pathologically so.
I wonder, did they all decide to look this way on purpose? Or did the artists jazz up their dour dispositions as a way of saying, “stay away from these folks!” I really don’t know.
On the other hand, there is this woman being tortured on a fresco in the duomo of Castell’Arquato, near Piacenza. She’s a martyr for sure, but she doesn’t seem exactly disturbed by all the liberties taken with her breasts by bearded men with giant pinchers. (Click the picture to see it larger.)
How can the church leaders be so dour when the tortured seem so calm and poised?
I used to hate going in churches. Now I’m intrigued. Don’t miss Romanesque churches. There’s some weird stuff going on in there.
For more pictures of the interior of the Siena Duomo’s special floors, see: Siena Duomo Floor Pictures. For a travel guide, see Siena Travel Guide.