Painting the Scene of an Italian Wedding

As Winnie the Pooh says, “You can’t stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.” Go out of my forest I did to attend this wedding.
If I hadn’t flown over 3,000 miles I would have had to see the memories expressed through photos. But photos, although the next best thing to being there, just can’t convey as an intense a memory…
Arriving at the church we were fashionably late. Who knew we would have to drive all the way up the hills of the province of Pescara to find the little historical and breathtaking church-Santa Maria in Piano- at the top of the hill in a little town called Loreto-Aprutino.
Driving around and around the hills, it looked as if we would never arrive. Of course it made no difference to me. I was basking in the beautiful sun and sights while Alfonso had to navigate the car around and around. I could be of no help in the navigation either as I was still recovering from my jet lag (since I had just arrived from NY that morning).
The scenery was a mix of old and new. From the magnificent frescoes on the church walls from the 12th-15th centuries, to the women and men clad in the latest Dolce and Gabbana, Valentino and Roberto Cavalli creations.. Everyone in bright colors against a backdrop of 15th century frescoes looked like a page from W magazine. The sight was enough to wake me up out of my jet lag. The scenery was vibrant.
The church was constructed sometime in 1200 AD and then modified in 16th century. The front has an airy doorway with 4 arches. The inside is medieval and the interior has two-toned terra-cotta on the floor.
But back to the frescoes. As church weddings in Italy are long and drawn out, my eyes had time to wander or wonder (however you want to look at it) at the amazing frescoes on covering the walls and ceiling. They are from the 12th to 15th centuries. The frescoes on the ceiling are depicting the life of St Thomas Aquinas. His family owned and ruled the town. The frescoes were painted by an unknown painter.
Hear more about the wedding in my next post, “Chicken Laurentana and My Thoughts from an Italian Wedding”.