#church reviews

[cemeteryreviews]

Church Reviews #6 - Basilica of Our Lady of Chiquinquirá

This is a church that is kinda hidden, it doesn't have its own square or park and it is practically nested between the rest of the buildings on its street. Nevertheless, it is definitely worth watching.

At first you think, hey this is just another pale church, you know. The beige color isn't my favorite, and I feel sometimes it can get this sick complexion I don't enjoy, but the way it creates shapes is sublime, pointy tips over pointy tips and lots of little details to fill in the eye, it strikes you deeply when you see it. I was just going by on a bus when it suddenly jumped into my field view, I had to get out of the bus and walk to it, it was calling to me. You can also see there is a red thingy at the top that looks like a clock, but it doesn't seem to have any hands and it has instead two dates, 1925 and 1959, which I would assume are the start and the end years of its construction. Red is quite a provocative color which can make it seem odd with the rest of the entrance, but it makes sense when you go inside.

This church is a masterpiece in color. It boasts a pastel color palette that just looks regal, it is dazzling, it is amazing. Every shade compliments column, each arch, each material. I have no freaking clue what material it is built on, it could be stone or brick, but it most likely has a layer or plaster or stucco that gives that creamy texture to the place and that texture is absolutely perfect for the pastel colors. It is perfect, it's just perfect. This style are the colors of joy. Inside it smells a lot like incense, or might it have smelled that way if there was a celebration recently, needles to say, I do love the smell.

But that is not everything, because aside the pastel colors, this church has stained glass windows. The Church of Lourdes had stained glass windows with paintings, but these do not have any paintings on them, just shapes and patterns, which in my opinion makes it look a little bit better, it doesn't make them look busy when you look at them, and when the sun of the afternoon creeps in, it is an amazing sight to behold, the joy of the sun in colors.

You just have no clue, you have no fucking clue the sheer and pure joy that the light of the sun through stained glass windows gives me. It makes me shed a tear and feel alive, so alive, as if I was bathing in light, between the cosmic rays of nature and the smile of the human nurture. This single little detail can elevate a place like this into incredible heights.

The altar has this golden and red ornamentation as well some touches of green here and there like with the cloth that covers the table. It is fantastic, it might look... I don't know, kinda like it is 3/4 way there? But then you see the windows, which are not just stained glass windows but they have the primary colors, which gives the altar any vibrancy it might have lacked. It completes it and fills the place with light. Remember how the altar of San Francisco is all dark and dim? Well this one isn't dim, it doesn't reject the outside world but welcomes it, and when the sun passes through those windows, I feel joy in my soul.

There are some other details I really like, like the railings that were sponged with red paint, this beautiful symbol in black and white, as well as the fact there was an actual organ in the church. Do you have any idea how rare that is around here? Most churches use those Yamaha synths that just sound bad in a lot of the settings. Yes, a lot of those keyboards have an actual and decent church organ setting, but they do not use it! They use the shittiest sound imaginable. I feel that the person who got this organ decided to bring it here so none of the people who play or sing ever dared to use those keyboards and select their shitty synth setting. With a physical organ, you have the sound secured. Yes, it's not quite a pipe organ, so it is not quite there, but when you hear it, it feels so so much better and gives an atmosphere to the place that it really deserves.

Sadly not everything is great, since yes, this also has a terrazzo floor. It is not a floor I really like, but this church, with the pastel colors, almost makes it work. I'm not saying that it makes the terrazzo feel proper for a church, but the church with all its paste colors and windows and gets as close as possible to a palace and blend in with the terrazzo, so it feels a lot more at home here than in a church like San Fransisco. If I liked getting tattoos, I would tattoo myself MEMLIX, because it sounds like a cool deity name.

The doors are fantastic, just fantastic. They do not have the gilded wood carvings of San Fransisco but they are indefinitely more detailed that your average church door. They have a a fantastic color that contrasts with the paler ones from the columns of outside.

See that? That is light from the yellow stained glass windows of the altar. There isn't a light as wistful and romantic as this one, when the sun is about to start to set. I love it deeply with all my heart.

The columbarium is in the first floor and to be honest it looks a lot less polished, pristine or liminal than the one in the Church of Lourdes, which disappointed me a bit. But, it had a checkered floor that I enjoyed, even if it looked dirtier. There was an old lady that told me I couldn't take any photos, so I won't post any here. I'm saving the only one I took as a keepsake of my heresy.

8/10

[unashamedly-enthusiastic]

Visited a cathedral today with the toddler

It was very odd that somewhere so deeply linked to my childhood is completely foreign to her

'so this is a church, people are quiet here, like a library'

'people have lit these candles as prayers'

'prayers are... prayers are where you wish and hope for something you really want'

'that's actually a very famous lady and a baby'

'look the baby grew up into that man there, lots of people think he was important'

'...no he's not really having a good time is he'

'not because he was naughty'

'ah no the lady wasn't naughty either'

[words-writ-in-starlight]

Sometimes I read the books that the internet is going feral over and I'm just like "take my hand babygirl I can show you the world."

We can do better baby. I can get you a better version of this.

[rabbits-of-negative-euphoria]

I am returned! Crazy things happened on hiatus, and here is a play-by-play:

Spent the bulk of September with our dogs at my great-aunt's lake cottage (which is a 15-hr drive from here), due to the abundance of birthdays this month.

Shortly after arriving, I got a cold from my sister, which as per usual, turned into bronchitis, which lasted the entirety of the vacation (I still have the cough).

Around midnight on the eve of our departure, I had a gallbladder attack (first one since early spring).

Except it was way worse. Like, I couldn't breathe, couldn't speak, couldn't even cry.

Called 911, got in the ambulance, and the pain suddenly vanished in the space of a minute.

The wee mountain hospital didn't have imaging equipment beyond a CT scan and the Dr. was like "If the pain is gone, you shouldn't expose yourself to that much radiation" (which I appreciated)

My labs were normal, so we conclude this must've been the passing of the gallstone. Big, if true.

I take hydrocodone and we all go to sleep.

In the morning, my mom and sister pack my stuff for me and my parents and I drive the 15 hours back home so that dad can make it to a job interview the next day.

During the last 45 minutes of the journey, my mom's very very old & frail chihuahua experiences a sharp decline in his already poor constitution.

I'm knocked out on hydrocodone, but my dad is up all night with the dog, and in the morning, he takes him to the vet to be put down.

My mom is devastated, this dog was adopted to be her bedside companion during chemo twelve years ago.

My dad's interview goes well.

I still have bronchitis.

Two days later, my sister (who stayed longer at the lake house to clean up) drives back to her home in Southern GA, but for hurricane Helene reasons, the highway is closed and she gets lost.

She finally makes it home to find her power is out, for hurricane Helene reasons (it's still out)

Three days later (last night), I have another brutally painful attack (clearly I'd NOT passed the stone), so my parents drive me to the ER.

Am able to get an ultrasound there, which confirms I still have either many gallstones or one huge one, but my labs are still normal.

Unfortunately, this makes sense because I underwent some rapid drastic weight loss after my attack in the spring.

ER Dr. thinks my pain is instead being caused by gastritis for genetic reasons (which reminded my mom that as a teenager she passed out at work from gastritis).

He prescribes me a trio of gastritis drugs.

I'll be going to a trusted functional medicine doctor next month because my dad got the job (an amazingly good job, praise God) and we can afford it at last. My hope is that this Dr. can point to causes beyond genetics for the gastritis and also get rid of the stones once and for all, even if that means going on Ursodiol.

My dad's new job requires him to move to the Middle East in three weeks.

Oh, and my personal Instagram account (which was about to become the cornerstone of my small business) was inexplicably terminated during my hiatus and I have no means of getting it back besides writing to the state Attorney General.

[lokh]

Im gonna need your like, whole musical rec list, bc literally every song you have posted has not flopped once, give me your faves i need to eat them

OUGHHH YOUVE UNLOCKED THE BEAST ARGSHHFHJDF....

in the interest of making this both easily accessible but not stretching the dashboard, im embedding bandcamp links when i can, otherwise linking to youtube when unavailable

in no particular order, inclusion based mostly on what im still actively into LMAO but also just things you should give a go at least once:

list of artist recommendations

zeal and ardor: described as a mix of african-american spirituals and black metal. try devil is fine, you aint coming back, wake of a nation or church burns

bloodywood: indian folk metal, literally nobody is doing it like them. recently featured in monkey man (2024), try chakh le, yaad or dana dan

stromae: if youve never heard any of his songs WHAT ARE YOU DOING..... incredible lyricist, described as a blend of hip hop/electronic. papaoutai made the rounds on tumblr a while back, but you should also try santé and l'enfer

alamat: pinoy pop. a youtube commenter described them as sounding like 2nd gen kpop which probably also explains why i took a shine to them LMAO, notable for the amount of filipino culture on display and the diversity thereof (singing in different languages, themes). first heard them thru kasmala either here or on twitter lmao, try aswang or maharani

andy bull: alt-pop. a lot of poppy and upbeat songs with a melancholic undertone imo. an australian artist, try it's all connected or keep on running

cosmo sheldrake: electronic, wikipedia also lists him as folktronica and baroque pop. you may have heard the song come along on an apple ad - hes known for sampling sounds from nature. pliocene for example features sounds from endangered ecosystems.

if you like cosmo sheldrake, you might like hidden orchestra (electronica, ambient). also making use of field recordings, i really love the archipelago mixtape but its a hard sell at about an hour lmao. if you like the following song then i implore you to give it a go

son lux: experimental, you may have heard from them in the entire soundtrack for everything everywhere all at once (!!!!!). try dangerous, dream state (brighter night) or live another life.

ammar 808: electronic/world fusion, also behind bargou 08 (folk rock you should also listen to). i just cant get ain essouda out of my head, but i also love geeta duniki

miyavi: j-rock, used to be a visual kei artist. these days he might be known more for anime openings like flashback (kokkoku) or other side (id:invaded), or for work like snakes in arcane (or actually inspiring and voicing a character in it), but ive always been partial to his early work like sukkyanen myv or ashita, genki ni naare

songs/albums

'threads' album by now, now (indie rock).

'dream to make believe' or 'what to do when you are dead' by armor for sleep (rock, emo). here's the truth about heaven from the latter album

i already posted about it but denzel curry's 13lood 1n + 13lood out mixx (rap, trap) is extremely good

the guilty gear soundtracks and im so serious im not fucking joking. different kinds of rock and metal and all sorts of influences put in, a genuine labor of love. xrd and earlier games are mainly instrumental with some vocal tracks (try give me a break or big blast sonic), while strive pretty much always includes vocals (of course i need to rec rock parade, but also try requiem. its genuinely hard for me to pick and choose lmao)

not an album and not an artist

coke studio pakistan and coke studio bangla knocking it out of the fucking park, im particularly a fan of harkalay and kotha koiyo na. you could try the other coke studios too (tamil, india, etc)

triple j like a version is when the radio station triple j brings in artists and has them do a cover of a song (artists choice). i liked denzel curry's cover of bulls on parade and flume's shooting stars (video for this one is incredible, man had a vision you just have to stick it out), but you get a lot of interesting interpretations like the wombats' running up that hill, gordi's in the end or, infamously. the wiggles' elephant

ive DEFINITELY missed out some, but thats what my music tag is for LMAO i hope someone discovers something they like here!!!!

[dandelionjack]

my first Ever review on tardis.guide! decided to fully letterboxd it up. harrowing episode of a show that everybody told me was lighthearted childhood nostalgia. liars

[agentnico]

Conclave (2024) review

This Pope is dope!

Plot: Cardinal Lawrence is tasked with one of the world's most secretive and ancient events - leading the selection of a new pope. Surrounded by powerful religious leaders in the halls of the Vatican, he soon uncovers a trail of deep secrets that could shake the very foundation of the Roman Catholic Church.

Since his stellar 2022 adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front that bagged him a Best International Feature Academy Award, Edward Berger showcased himself as a director to keep an eye out for. I did not expect him to be back so quickly, yet here we are with Conclave, and goodness we he may have yet another awards contender on his hands. This movie is all about lies, deception, manipulation and strategy, all encapsulated in this global scale game of chess. From the offset one may question how interesting a movie about a bunch of cardinals picking the next Pope could be. Like it’s just a bunch of men in red caps sitting and talking. But believe me this is far from a boring tale, as Berger manages to turn this intimate and supposedly-holy ritual into a thrilling and tense experience that echoes the scheming, backstabbing nature and intrigue of something like Game of Thrones whilst also feeling strikingly relevant. I’m not saying this thing is full of sex and blood, but truly this movie about priests gossiping is extremely entertaining and engaging. Whenever the ballot result was being announced after every vote, I’m not going to lie, and I hate using this term, I was at the edge of my seat, wondering who the next front runner was.

Part of me wishes this took a Death of Stalin approach with all these cardinals trying to one up each other to get to the top, as there is so much comedy potential in that. However this movie plays it mostly straight, yet it does still manage to find some humour in the interactions, with especially one of the most diabolical vape hits of all time, and I don’t just mean in cinema history. Truly though this is a really well made piece of drama, and also fantastically shot, as Berger and his crew manage to turn the Vatican into a highly cinematic location, with even a small behind-the-scene auditorium darkened in a way that only the red of the cardinals clothing and the turquoise blue seats are highlighted, which I must say was a phenomenal minimalistic approach. Also a bird’s eye sequence of the cardinals holding white umbrellas and walking past a fountain - chef’s kiss! Huge shout out to Volker Bertelmann’s music score, as even though I think his work on All Quiet on the Western Front was overrated and dull, here his style works much better, with his score dominating a specific sound made by a string chamber orchestra, that mirrored the movie’s constant theme of being “stuck”.

With this cast you already expected high class performances, but truly they are great. Elegant, crafty, poised, but never shy of getting emotional when needed, Ralph Fiennes abilities of balance continue to impress me with how he invests in making a good character. It’s a reserved yet powerful performance. Stanley Tucci goes a bit more theatrical, his character the voice of the "liberal" side as his aggressions and passions are artfully delivered in a manner fit for the stage to offset Fiennes' calmer tones. John Lithgow is almost a mix of the two extremes, holding his usual support role that keeps so many of the leading sides held and providing perhaps most of the engaging mystery element in the search for the truth. Isabella Rossellini is unfortunately a tad under-used, though she does get one scene to deliver that powerful note that the Oscars would love to reference should she be nominated. Lucian Msamati, Sergio Castellitto and Carlos Diehz also make notable turns as the other contenders for the Pope role, all of whom get their moments to shine.

In my eyes Conclave is a stunning piece of work. It manages to take what one would assume as such a simple premise, yet manages to entangle it with so many threads of twists and turns, as such turning a political and religious drama into a true mystery thriller, with Fiennes character acting more so as a detective rather than a leader of the conclave. Partner that with the great acting, sublime cinematography and a slow but engaging pace with a script filled with wit and realism, and we have ourselves one hell of a motion picture!

Overall score: 8/10

[rapha-reads]

The Church on Ruby Road [spoilers]

First of all: Fifteen is AMAZIIIIIING. I swear I'm going to try and be normal about him, but his energy! His joy! His connection to his feelings, the emotional depth! That moment when he says "I've adopted, I've just discovered that recently", and then his tears when he realises what happened to Ruby, and then how soft and gentle he was with baby Ruby.

I keep remembering Bill's words about Twelve: "With some people you can smell the wind in their clothes." - and that's exactly it with Fifteen. You can feel not only the age, the experience, the heartbreak and trials the Doctor has gone through, but also, and maybe more importantly, the healing, the love, the joy, the endless curiosity about the universe, the limitless desire to always learn and discover new things. Fifteen is the sum of all the previous Doctors, and he's carrying that weight, but he's also something new, something exciting. The trauma is still there, but he's not letting it weigh him down anymore. Even when he has a moment of doubt, when he says "Maybe I'M the bad luck", a previous regeneration would have left - he stayed and let Ruby make her choice. There's growth there.

We definitely are in a new era of Doctor Who. New New Who? New Who 2.0? Modern Who? Do we have a name yet or is still being debated?

Anyway, secondly. Ruby! Aw, she sounds so cool and kind! The mystery around her birth mother is thrilling without taking the precedent over anything else. Either her birth parents aren't that important, though it's Doctor Who - there's always something else, and I wouldn't be surprised if she's a Time Lord kid, or even the Doctor's child themself - or maybe Jenny's child, the Doctor's granddaughter? I'm just wildly theorizing at this point, never mind all of that.

What's interesting is her relationship with her adoptive mother. That scene where Ruby disappears and her mother forgets about her, and the colours themselves literally bleed out, and the joyful, kind, generous woman we've come to know suddenly turns bitter and sad and cold... Man, that scene messed me up. Makes you think about coincidences, about how and when you meet people and you can never know how important they are in your life, because sometimes the influence they have on you are so subtle, so diffuse, it's impossible to see it. Not the first time this happens in Doctor Who, though, time travel does have that impact. Butterflies and all that. But the impact is always the same heart-wrenching feeling.

Third, the language of rope! By which I mean, I was talking with my brother (huge Whovian like me), and he was telling me that he's a bit worried about RTD's decision to go towards fantasy stories. Well, magic is just another language, after all, isn't it? It's just science that we haven't been able to decipher yet. So, fantasy and science-fiction? They go hand in hand, actually. If the TARDIS is a wooden box that's bigger on the inside and can travel through time and space, then sure, why not, goblins exist, they eat baby, they can also move around time, and their science is the science of ropes and wood. Totally plausible in this world. Wouldn't be weirder than that time Ten met Satan in a pit, or Eleven had an ongoing feud with evil snowmen, or Twelve rode on Santa's sleigh, or Thirteen talked to a frog from another universe. That's cool. Love it.

Right. Well. I'm excited for this new series. It's shiny and fresh, it's something else! Moving forward without forgetting the past. And apparently we're going to meet the Beatles? I love historic episodes! And go to some new planets, meet some new aliens, deal once again with holes in the fabric of the universe (not new, but maybe done in a new way?)... This is going to be great. Next episode in Spring, though? At least it's not another full year of wait.

[silveragelovechild]

Originally I did not plan to see “Conclave”. I don’t have any interest in stories about religion nor the Catholic Church in particular.

But “Conclave” has been receiving some very good reviews (92% at Rotten Tomatoes) with Ralph Fiennes being single out for his Oscar worthy role. The movie does hold up pretty well, and Fiennes is excellent.

But it’s no surprise the movie included many details of arcane rituals and men dressed in red gowns and lots of jewelry. (You’d think this was another season of Drag Race.)

The movie opens with the death of one pope then follows the effort to elect a new pope. Fiennes plays Cardinal Lawrence who must manage the voting process, although he himself has doubts about his own faith.

There aren’t any murders in “Conclave” but the plot follows a typical detective mystery story - Fiennes must discover who is telling the truth and what secrets are they hiding.

You might think that as men of the cloth, the cardinals would be open and honest… nope! Many of them conspire against each other and they have secrets that would create major scandals for the church if they were to be leaked.

The main candidates for the job are:

John Lithgow as Tremblay who you can tell is lying just by looking at him

Stanley Tucci as liberal Bellini who is more concerned someone else doesn’t get elected.

Sergio Castellitto as Tedesco who can easily pass as a MAGA member

Lucian Msamati as Adeyemi who may have broken a priestly vow

Carlos Diehz as soft spoken Benitez who was recently promoted.

A fair portion of the movie is devoted to the various rounds of voting, and how the Cardinals win or loses votes. My one complaint about the movie is, at the end, to adds tension, the method the votes are revealed is suddenly changed. The outcome was obvious, so this switch felt like a cheat.

The ending involves a twist which you may have read about by the time you read this. It’s very topical but wasn’t entirely necessary to the plot - except that it does have some rumored precedence.

Note: Isabella Rossellini has a small role in the film. I follow her on Instagram and it was nice seeing her on the big screen again.

[ramblngz-of-a-lunatic]

[cemeteryreviews]

Church Reviews #4 - Church of San Francisco

Maria Hazel: You know, the Church of San Fransisco is very special since it is the oldest surviving church in Bogotá, built between 1557 and 1566 when Colombia didn't exist and the whole country was part of the New Kingdom of New Granada, a Spanish colony. As any old building, it has seen some shit. It got damaged after an earthquake in 1785 and some reconstructions have been made. Look at the entrance.

The bell tower is white, but the rest of the entrance is built out of sandstone bricks or other kind of textured bricks, like this, it feels like some sort of frankenchurch, made of the parts of other churches. This entrance was finished around 1794, and you can see the date on the inscription. It looks all cornered by the bigger building at its side. It's small, and it has suffered of people writing graffiti on it too, this church definitely has seen better days.

This church is in one of the oldest neighborhoods of the city, most of it is composed of pedestrian crossings, my guess would be because some streets were never designed to have cars on them, so it is a bit of a touristic route and in every single street, every few meters, there are street sellers and musicians singing, dancing, playing the guitar, etc.

Aside of the sensory overload the place gives you, you know, even more than usual, there are vagabonds here and there and a lot of places smell like piss.

At the side of the church there is a small square where guys practice skateboarding jumping the sewer gates.

If you sit around it, some religious person might want get close to you and ask you to sign something. I left right away when I got asked, but I thought it would have been funny if I used my deep male voice and said I was cursed by Satan so I couldn't touch religious symbols, it could have been funny.

This is the view of the church from the square.

And this, this is the church from its side. The graffiti says "Don't let the crosses use you as a puppet."

When I saw it, i thought "this church is evil." It's an attack on the senses everywhere you see it, the white bell tower, the sandstone entrance, the stained glass dark windows, covered with metal bars and surrounded by more mismatching bricks.

At the end of the first chapter of Dracula, Jonathan says "the driver was in the act of pulling up the horses in the courtyard of a vast ruined castle, from whose tall black windows came no ray of light, and whose broken battlements showed a jagged line against the sky." And you can feel the same from this church, no light enters to the church, everything is jagged, everything looks wrong.

Victoria Hazel: That's stupid. It shows signs of permutation and change, but that doesn't make it "spooky evil", that's just stupid, stupid.

Maria Hazel: Anyway, when I go it is usually closed, but today, when I went, it was open, so I took the chance and went inside.

Okay so first of all, there are several signs that say "it is not allowed to take photos, turn off your phone." I legitimately do not understand why, I don't understand, it might be to create atmosphere, but still... I did wrong, I did really wrong. But what I am supposed to do? It's photos, man! I took some photos, yes, but I'm just going to use them as a reference to help myself describe everything inside as much as possible, to you.

Victoria: Booo! Booo!

Maria: I know, I know! It sucks, but I will do my best to make it as descriptive as possible. Besides, there are some good photos of the inside here and there if look up on Google.

The air of the inside feels stale. It's like when you have a laptop right? If its plugged into an outlet, you say, no problem, I have all the time in the world, but if its on battery you say, hmmm, I only have like 3 hours left. Well, this air was exactly like that, it makes you say, damn, I have at most 3 hours of lucidity left. It smells weird, and it makes you think you might end up taking in the germs of a XIX century parishioner. The ceiling of the biggest part of the church is in wood, so yeah, not a great start there. The lighting is always dim, like very dim. It is hard to see. I saw a small chandelier at the very back but most of the place uses small, tiny studio lights to illuminate the place, some white, some yellow. Not everything is in wood though, there is another type of ceiling covering the side aisle.

[PHOTO #12]

Chat GPT: Picture, if you will, an expansive surface composed of a grid of square panels, each adorned with a central golden knob that catches the light. The panels are bordered in subtle, tarnished green, a hue that contrasts gracefully with the warm shimmer of the gold.

Victoria: I thought you were the one to describe the things, not some AI.

Maria: I'm english second language and there is a lot of weird shit I can't describe well give me a break!

Chat GPT: Within certain panels, decorative motifs emerge, with darkened, almost floral or cruciform designs subtly embedded in the grid. The structure is framed by deep wooden beams or moldings.

Maria: So anyway, the nave has a wood ceiling, and the side aisle has that weird ceiling. It doesn't have an aisle at the other side.

[PHOTO #13]

There are several big, golden altarpieces with lots of statues of religious figures, these are the things covering the windows and not letting the side of the stained glass windows come in. It's a bit of a weird place, you say, man, what a weird ass place, and then, you walk up to the altar.

[PHOTO #14]

The altar, no, not just the altar. The holy mother of all altars. This sanctuary is composed of 12 golden polychrome reliefs at each side on columns of three each, with the first two being as big as a person and the last one at the top being very small. At the center there is three other reliefs at each side, then 3 statues of some saints and then two other big ones on the center. Everything is of a golden color, almost as if it was of actual gold, it's not gold, right? It cannot be actual gold.

This place, it's huge, like, the church might be small but the altar is so wide and tall that it does its function of make you feel small. It is absolutely breathtaking and awe inducing, it makes you say, "damn, the people who made this really had a knack for design, a knack for opulence, this, is quite something, this place is holy." Everything is so shiny, and it would probably be more if it wasn't due to the dim, pale light, it would probably shine more.

There is even a mysterious red door at the side, a big, big door. When I was there, a very old man came out, dressing a purely brown robe with a white string, that is not the usual priest attire I have seen, he was so old that at first I thought he was part of the exhibition, he had a cane and took his time to walk, supporting himself of everything at his side too. I saw him touch one of the status at the center altar and look above. "A life of devotion." I said to myself when I saw him. The altar was so big that even if you crossed by the chains, it would take you 3 or 4 seconds to reach him. A guy passed the chains and I got nervous, but he just went to say hi to the priest and it seems the priest smiled and they had come conversation, again, it was very dark.

[PHOTO #15]

At each side of the altar, as in, outside of the altar but at the side, there is a canopy (or a dossal) with a big figure or statue on them as well. These two have stairs to reach them, and for some reason there is a pigeon or a dove pasted at the bottom of it, it's a bit bizarre.

[PHOTO #16]

The floor is a terrazzo floor. We know what I think about terrazzo floors, I like them in offices and other buildings, but in churches it feels a little too pristine for my taste. I don't know if that's the exact word, but oh well.

[PHOTO #17]

Chat GPT: This floor presents itself as a geometric tapestry of stone tiles, arranged in a meticulous diamond pattern. Each tile is a deep, earthy red, reminiscent of terracotta, bordered by pale, almost white stone strips that crisscross at perfect right angles, creating a series of interlocking diamonds.

The red tiles bear subtle, natural imperfections—tiny flecks and gentle pockmarks. The lighter stones framing each red square add contrast and definition, drawing the eye toward the repeating pattern and creating a sense of depth.

Maria: And it also looks kinda lame for some reason, I don't know why, but it never lands with me the right way. There is also a chamber that is also quite breath taking.

[PHOTO #18]

Chat GPT: This grand space you’ve captured could be described as a side chapel or perhaps a sacristy, though it also has qualities of a sanctuary where sacred art and iconography are displayed with reverence. Upon entering, one is immediately enveloped by the opulence of the golden altarpiece at the far end, standing as the focal point of the room. The altarpiece is intricately carved and gilded, containing statues within niches, likely depicting saints or religious figures central to the church’s identity. Each niche is framed with gold leaf and it gives a contrast to the cool, blue-green tones that dominate the walls and ceiling.

The walls themselves are adorned with what could be termed pilasters, flat columns with gilded detailing, giving structure and rhythm to the space. They frame a series of large, somber paintings in dark hues.

The ceiling, too, is a masterpiece—painted in a similar blue-green shade, dotted with golden floral or star-like motifs. The way it arches above feels almost like a canopy. Lining either side, along the walls, is paneling in the same blue-green hue, embossed with golden embellishments, each panel forming a vertical rhythm that draws the eyes toward the altar. These details are not merely ornamental; they reflect the Baroque intention of engaging the senses fully, surrounding the viewer with beauty that speaks to the divine.

Maria: In the center, a simple wooden bench rests, the side chapel is closed by bars though, so you can't really enter. What struck me is the use of white pale lights that point towards the ceiling, these people know very well how to create an atmosphere. The white, pale lighting makes the room seem to glow, somehow.

[PHOTO #19]

At the front of the church you can see yet another ceiling below a small balcony.

Chat GPT: The intricate design is a tapestry of octagonal and cross-shaped motifs, creating a rhythm of interlocking patterns that seem to echo infinitely across the surface. Painted in a rich, cool blue-green, the background color serves as a perfect foil for the lavish gilded details that adorn each shape.

Each octagon and cross contains a floral or sunburst-like medallion in gleaming gold. These gilded motifs, carved with meticulous detail, appear almost three-dimensional.

[PHOTO #20]

Maria: Most of the confessionals are of a very old worn out wood in green and red, they are placed in some awkward positions between the aisle to the point the look as if they were just piled up for display.

[PHOTO #21]

At the front entrance, there is a big, picturesque door.

Chat GPT: This is no ordinary entryway but rather a ceremonial or sanctuary door. The door is painted in a rich, almost regal red. The surface is adorned with intricate, gilded wood carvings. These golden ornaments take the form of baroque flourishes—floral and foliate motifs that curl and twist in ornate patterns, framing central medallions.

Around the door's edges, delicate bead-like decorations outline the panels, adding a rhythmic texture that guides the eye along the frame. The asymmetry of the designs—paired with the slight wear and imperfections—gives the door a sense of character.

Maria: There is some other stuff to see, like the several altarpieces, some huge paintings and everything else in the altar that I just seem to be unable to describe. At the side there is even a small chapel too annexed to it. It doesn't seem to be part of the thing or even connected somehow, it's weird man, weird.

So well, that's basically it, a decay and unseemliness that makes it feel evil on the outside, and an opulence and sacred atmosphere that gets you close to meaning of everything that is holy on the inside. Everything about it is wild, it makes you think how a thing like that even became real, how it came to be, and how long as continued to exist over time. I stayed for some time but after a bit I felt I had to leave because the air was heavy and I felt it was slowly making me insane. That church is intense.

The floor still sucks though, so I'm not giving it a perfect score.

9/10

[borealopelta]

the most italian thing i've found in italy so far was a 1 star google review of a nearby church complaining that it was annoying that they rang the bells to signal the time "like everyone doesn't have a watch now" man what do you think church bells are for

[ectonurites]

does anyone have that ‘sometimes things that are expensive… are worse’ meme on hand. because the branding company we’re working with is pissing me off

[alldni]

looking at shit like the rotten tomatoes audience reviews for new doctor who just makes me so sad. “stop using doctor who as a political statement” the show is no more “political” than it was in 2005. one or two lines about abortion is not out of the ordinary in fucking DOCTOR WHO of all shows. y’all just see a black gay man or a trans girl and assume their existence is inherently political, it’s fucking ridiculous.

[softness-and-shattering]

Ok I see it. Kim Kitsuragi is hot.

Yknow rothfuss or someone has that line in their fiction about fearing the anger of a gentle man? He said fear not lust after but here I am 👀

[badsciencejokes]

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