Well, the color of Miro’s dreams anyway.

I actually enjoy it when Facebook gives me reminders of what happened several years ago. I like the prompts. Good inspiration for reflection.

I visited Milan for a few days in early December of 2019. I loved seeing the Last Supper fresco again and many other incredible sights around this amazing Italian city.

But, that’s where the outbreak of Covid first started in Italy and, sure enough, I caught it there. I had Covid before we knew what it was. I was incredibly sick, but fortunately I recovered.

I recall this beautiful paper shop not far from the Santa Maria Delle Grazie, where Leonardo’s masterpiece is housed. I loved the bright, warm light emanating at twilight within the dark, cold stone palazzo.

Above the entrance of the Chapel of the Corporal stands the cathedral’s large organ, containing 5,585 pipes and originally designed by Ippolito Scalza and Bernardino Benvenuti in the fifteenth century before being redesigned in 1913 and 1975. Scalza’s other major contribution to the church is the large Pietà he sculpted in 1579. it took him eight years the carve the four figures in this imposing marble group.

When the hair styles rivaled Marie Antoinette!’s!

Last Christmas I had the incredible good fortune to enjoy these sights in person. Looking back and feeling blessed!

Yesterday I posted about how St. Francis devised the first crèche in 1223 in Greccio. Since St. Francis was born and died in Assisi, and the papal church dedicated to him is in Assisi, it follows that Assisi would celebrate the Christmas season in a big way. Indeed it does.

Last December I was lucky enough to visit Assisi during the Christmas season, and the nativity scenes staged in the town are quite something! Here are some pictures. The first set are from at the basilica itself, outside the portal of the Upper Church:

It was a very misty day when I was in Assisi. It added to the atmosphere!

If you have visited the church of St. Francis in Assisi, you will know that there are actually 2 churches in one, the lower and upper churches. The following pictures are outside the portal to the Lower Church.

The next set of pictures are from the crèche scene in the center of Assisi, the Piazza del Comune:

And this final set of pictures is from the cathedral of Assisi, the church of St. Rufino: Here we have only the Annunciation scene played out, with Mary on the right and Gabriel on the left.