An Italian Life & Culture project: from obligation to inspiration

During my stay in Florence, Italy, I took several classes all in relation to Italian culture in some form.  One of them was called Italian Life & Culture: our midterm involved going to an assigned place, studying it, and bringing back its history.  When I realized my group's place would be a church, I initially thought, "Oh great.  Another church that's not the Duomo.  What other church in Florence can be as fantastic and awe-inspiring as the 4th largest church in the world?"

Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore: otherwise known as the Duomo in Florence

When we walked to the Church of San Lorenzo and saw this:

I thought: "Oh man, this is not going to be fun."

But when we went inside...

...yeah.  Not what we expected, either.

Basically, this church had been created during the beginnings of Renaissance architecture.  What fascinated me the most was the difference between the outside and the inside: the outside had looked disintegrated and worn, but the inside nave was beautiful, detailed and awe-inspiring in general.  With a bunch of Corinthian columns and frescoes every direction you turn, it was quite a sight to see.  Although it is one of the largest churches in Florence, it felt much warmer and welcoming than the Duomo.  It's ironic, though: this church holds the cold bodies of the Medici family, yet I felt more welcome there than in the more tourist-y Duomo.

Although my emphasis isn't in interior architecture, I felt a connection with this place that hadn't resonated with any other place I had been in before.  I'm not particularly religious, so I don't think that had anything to do with why I felt so welcome.  However, after being in this church, I definitely will have certain expectations whenever I make my way to another similar church in age, structure, or place (being another church in Italy).  I know that this place will definitely influence the work I will do in the future: with the brightly colored frescoes, the high ceilings with detailed Medici emblems, and flawless sculptures, the Italian Renaissance has made a huge impact on what I may decide to use for certain projects in future works to come.