AFTER A VISIT: Ospedale degli Innocenti ( Service Learning Trip : Charity)

AFTER A VISIT: Ospedale degli Innocenti

Children that don’t have anyone to care for him or her as a result of their parents’ abandonment are put in an impossible situation. The fact that a mother and a father leave a child is dependent on many external factors. Some do it in a responsible manner; giving a child up for adoption, say for the reasoning that they simply feel unfit for the job. However, others have been known to do abandon children in a selfless ways, giving them up without questioning their well being.Walking into Ospedale degli Innocenti I felt that this was a place used for its true meaning- a hospice for the innocent. Being a child are you are in the most vulnerable point that you will ever be in your life. Parenting a child can be the perfect test of how charitable you are. Although I cannot speak from a personal point of view, parenting breaks one down to be completely selfless. One can tell how completely charitable the women that worked in this orphanage must have been. Although they where not the blood- related mothers, the women that took care of these children most definitely took on the role of being these children’s mother’s.  Created solely to house the care of abandoned children, this hospital was a home to hundreds of innocent helpless children for over five centuries.

-Claire Shumaker

            

The English Cemetery

My most recent cemetery visit brought me to the English Cemetery located just outside the walls of Florence. The real name of the cemetery is the Protestant Cemetery of Florence and is owned by the Swiss Reformed Evangelical Church. This had to be my favorite cemetery visit out of all the ones I went on for many reasons. The main reason I enjoyed my time at the English Cemetery had to be the cheerfulness and knowledge of Sister Julia Holloway, a 70-year-old English nun, now the cemetery custodian, who lives in its gatehouse. 

Sister Julia was lovely enough to take our group around the cemetery and gave us some wonderful background information about the history of the cemetery and those who were buried on the grounds. I learned that any Catholics, who died in Florence, before the cemetery was opened in 1827, could not be buried in the city limits. They had to be taken to Livorno. She also mentioned that she loved the fact that the cemetery accepted all different types of people from all different social classes. She mentioned that there were people who were from the lower class, all the way to royalty, as a former King of Prussia is buried there. She also told a story of a descendent of another one of the famous individual who is buried at the English Cemetery, Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Barrett Browning was a famous English poet and was the wife of poet Robert Browning. The woman, who was actually a descendent of Elizabeth's sister, hailed from Australia. Sister joked about the fact that someone who is connected to the cemetery comes all the way from the "Outback".  The cemetery definitely has an English majority, but there is that international aspect that is a different sight in Italy. 

I truly did enjoy my time at the English Cemetery as odd as that sounds. Sister Julia Holloway was very enthusiastic with her understanding of the history of the cemetery.  He enthusiasm was infectious and made me not think of the cemetery as a place just to mourn the loss of a loved one, but almost like a museum with stories that make you think of the better times you had with the person you are visiting.  She gave me a new perspective to think this way that I will carry for the rest of my life, so that the next time I visit the grave of a loved one,  I will think of what they did and who they while they were with me, so I will not need to mourn as much as I used to.

Cemetery at San Miniato

A few days ago, my group and I made our way to the cemetery at San Miniato. I had actually never made my way that far up into the hills of Florence, so I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to see the sights and see the cemetery as well. The journey to get there is quite difficult, especially when it is very cold out. The cold weather and many flights of stairs and hills were worth it. The views overlooking the city of Florence were amazing.  It is always good to take a step back and see the world you live in from a perspective like that.
The cemetery itself was nice. I figured if you were buried at the top of a hill at a beautiful church overlooking Florence, you may have had some money to afford a good burial. This made me feel happy inside that it looked like these souls had been taken care of over the years. The graves of most of the people were big and looked artistic. The grounds surrounding the tombs also looked clean and well maintained so I liked that as well.
Those who have moved on from this life to their next one with God still deserve the respect of those who are living. They deserve to be visited and kept in memory. The cemetery at San Miniato is a beautiful example of what an outdoor cemetery should be. The long walk to the top of the hill may be difficult for some people, but those who have loved ones buried there will find the views and well maintained cemetery worth it.

Archives, Piazza del Duomo, and Orsanmichele

           The field trip to the archives was a very interesting experience. Not only did we read and glance at many old and valuable books, manuscripts, and records, but we also got to hear some interesting stories on how the structure of life was in Florence back in the Renaissance Era. It was fascinating to hear about how the “mafia” of the time had an unlimited amount of power over many of the local church’s decisions regarding the selection of new priests, pastors, and other members of the clergy. Also, I was intrigued that the most powerful person of society in the Renaissance era was a priest. Basically, if a man wanted to make money or become an important member of his community, he would enter the priesthood (or a convent if you were a woman). Yet, out of all the stories about the priests, monks, and nuns of the time, my favorite was the story about how all the young nuns of one convent fell in love with their young male gardener and even fought over him. The best part was that he faked that he was blind in order to get the job as the gardener because, at the time, men were not allowed to be in the complex of a convent, and then confessed a few months later to the head nun that we was not blind but of perfect sight. Yet, since all of the young nuns were madly in love with him, she ordered him to stay at the convent even though he was too tired of satisfying each and every nun.

            Even though I walk through the Piazza del Duomo almost every day, either to get to class or to grab something to eat, I am always astonished by how big and beautiful the Cathedral really is. By just looking at the exquisite and perfectly built façade, one can grasp the true beauty of this magnificent structure. Yet, personally, I believe that the real treasures of the Piazza are Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise on the outside of the Baptistery. The ten bronze panels on both doors are absolutely gorgeous and depict stories from the Old Testament. The Gates of Paradise are by far my favorite works of art in Florence. As for the church of Orsanmichele, I believe that that church is one of the hidden gems in Florence. Situated on a somewhat back alley off the famous Via dei Calzaiuoli, Orsanmichele boasts amazing works of art on both its alter and the ceiling.  

            

Egyptian and Etruscan Museums

           When I entered the museum, I honestly did not know what to expect. Honestly, I thought it was going to be like the Uffizi Museum, where there are many ancient sculptures lying around, and that I would be bored to death while strolling the galleries. However, when I walked in to the Egyptian Museum and saw the ancient sarcophagus of a pharaoh, I was completely blown away. The Ancient Egyptian artwork and artifacts were absolutely magnificent and breathtakingly huge. From funeral masks and gold amulets to mummies and beautiful bronze statues, the Egyptian museum had it all and it was awesome to see. Yet, even before entering into the Egyptian museum, I had to walk through the halls and rooms of the Etruscan art section on the first and second floors. Beautiful vases with very intricate designs and drawings were displayed in many of the rooms. Although I later learned that many of these vases were of Greek origin (the Etruscans would trade various items in exchange for these gorgeous Greek vases), for example the “vase Francios,” I still found the other Etruscan art, such as the large marble human statues, very cool. All in all, I enjoyed my visit to the National Archaeological Museum. I found the Egyptian Museum really fascinating not only in how well designed and big the ancient sarcophagi and mummies were, but also also how well kept they were. Don't get me wrong, the Etruscan art was beautiful and marvelous, but the Egyptian art and artifacts were absolutely magnificent. 

Jewish Cemetery in Prague

This last weekend, I was able to go on a trip to the Czech Republic. I was in their major city of Prague for the duration of my stay. While I was there, I felt it was necessary to see some sights. I was able to see the Prague Castle and the John Lennon wall. But what struck me as most interesting as something to do as a tourist in Prague, was to see the old Jewish cemetery. So my friends and I decided to go on a tour of this cemetery.
As you walk in, you see that the grounds of the cemetery are not overwhelmingly large. Although the land of the cemetery is small, there are thousands of headstones that are visible. There were so many tombs just crammed together and the condition they were in was terrible. There were weeds growing everywhere. It did not look like a cemetery that was still maintained today. What I later found out was that the cemetery dates back to the early 15th century and was used up until the late 18th century. I also found out that in addition to the 10,000 or so tombs visible in the cemetery, there are about 100,000 burials in all.
Some of the feelings that I had while walking through the graveyard were those of fear, as the scene of the cemetery looked like it was out of a horror movie. I also felt a little bit bad for the people who were buried there. They had to spend their eternal rest in a cramped cemetery that looked like it had not been taken care of in many years. It seems as if the families of those poor souls would have a difficult time seeing their loved ones, especially since almost 90 percent of them are not even visible while walking around the graveyard. The whole point of a cemetery is to have a place where loved ones of the deceased can go to still feel a connection to the person that they lost in a safe and well maintained environment. The dead do deserve that respect at least.    

Farmacia di Santa Maria Novella

The Farmacia di Santa Maria Novella was not what I expected it to be at all. I was expecting a pharmacy that is similar to others around Florence. I had no idea it was an old pharmacy that is now a museum. I was amazed by the beauty of the pharmacy and it made me see pharmacies in a different light. The pharmacy was ornately decorated and almost reminded me of a cathedral because it had a lot of gold and decorations of angels. I learned that there had actually been a chapel inside the pharmacy so that made more sense to me and explained the decorations. For me, the most interesting part of the pharmacy was the paintings on the ceiling in the sales room. There were paintings of different countries which is something I have not seen anywhere else in Florence. The pharmacy was nothing like you see today, it even had rooms meant for relaxing. On display, the pharmacy had historic tools and instruments that were used for the creation of medicine. This reminded me of the instruments on display at the Hospital Degli Innocenti. As my final visit on the charity path, it was interesting to see how the visits all connected to one another.

Ospedale di Careggi

I was quite overwhelmed when I visited the Ospedale di Careggi. It is one of the largest hospitals in Italy which I did not know before I went. This hospital is a university hospital so it is much newer than the others I have visited. At this hospital I mostly stayed outside because there was a lot going on. There are all different departments for many different categories of healthcare. There is even an auditorium that is dedicated to serenity and spirituality. This reminded me of my visit to the Hospital of Santa Maria Nuova and the temple that is there. Both hospitals, although different in many ways, have sections related to spirituality and religion. I thought this was a nice addition to the hospital because it allows people to relax in a place where tensions usually run fairly high. A recent addition was the children's hospital. This is like how the Hospital Degli Innocenti was dedicated to children when it was still working. I discovered that Ospedale di Careggi is basically a combination of the Hospital Degli Innocenti and the Hospital of Santa Maria Nuova. It is interesting to see how over time something was created that resembled an older example.

Hospital of Santa Maria Nuova

Visiting the Hospital of Santa Maria Nuova was very different from my visit to the Hospital Degli Innocenti because Santa Maria Nuova is still active today. I actually walk by the hospital quite often between classes but it was interesting to actually pay close attention to it. From the outside it looks very similar to any other building in Florence. However, the inside is very modern because a running hospital needs up to date technology. The most interesting part of this visit was the Cloister of Bones. This is a sort of temple that also has a dedication and is a burial space. I found it interesting that there was a sort of religious symbol if you will in the hospital. That is something that you usually wouldn't find in the United States so it was interesting to compare the different countries. It is also the oldest hospital that is still active in Florence which would not be known by the modern technology inside. Going to a working hospital was interesting because it is not something most people do on a daily basis. Hospitals can be both happy and sad places so there were a lot of different emotions all around me.

Museum of the Hospital Degli Innocenti

My visit to the Museum of the Hospital Degli Innocenti was one of my favorites so far. I love kids so it was really interesting to see one of the first places devoted to the care of children in Florence. However, I could not believe some of the methods I learned about that they would use. These methods can even be seen on the outside of the hospital. For example, decorating the outside at the top there are small pieces of artwork. They depict babies wrapped up almost like mummies. I learned that this was the common practice when the hospital was active. However, this practice was also detrimental to the children's health. The doctors thought it was helping the children but it was doing the opposite. This hospital also worked as a sort of ancient orphanage. Today, you can still see where people could anonymously drop off their unwanted children. On the inside, there were places specifically for men and women. The museum mostly had paintings and instruments that were used when the hospital was active. It was interesting to compare it to the technology we have today and see both the differences and similarities.

Jerusalem DVD

Certain concepts within the umbrella concept of religion confusing me; one concept in particular is the concept of religious wars. Although I had a slight idea in regards to the ‘Holy Lands,’ I had no idea that the tension that existed in such lengths to involve various different religions. These ‘religious wars’ happened to serve one sole purpose: to preserve the religious landmarks present in each of the different religions ‘holy lands.’

The basis the three monotheistic religions; Christianity, Islam, and Judaism all originate from variations of the same story or stories; as a result, each religion is ‘fighting for ownership,’ as each religion’s roots date back to same place.

Because these various religious sects believe in either the same stories; or similar stories regarding god, the creation of the universe, the creation of the human race, and other stories pertaining to similar ideologies, each faith but has different ideas or interpretations regarding the outcomes; because of this dispute, each faith has not been presented with the opportunity for overarching peace.

Each religion has differs when it comes to their beliefs, culture, and customs. These differences create a sort of ‘ethnocentric bias’ which is the major factor to incite these holy wars. Each religious sect believes that their own way is the right way to practice religion; additionally, each religion compares their individualized beliefs and practices to the overarching standard of the various other regions; in particular, the three primary monotheistic religions. Of all of this explains how a stress of tolerance, understanding, and the concept of loving your neighbor as it pertains to religious practices is evident; however, with these concepts comes a state of constant isolation, discrimination, in addition to frequent deaths amongst the people in this particular region. These killings occur as a result of the ownership of these various properties. 

After watching this film, I realized that the power of faith is extremely stronger than I had originally known. The concept that a family can only share a meal together once a week because they lack certain citizenship rights is absurd to me. These extremes are difficult to comprehend coming from a country where these basic freedoms are granted by law. The separation between physical places assists with both the religious and cultural freedom within a certain country. Additionally, these 'religious wars' seem to be both ubiquitous as well as never-ending. The overarching principles behind these battles are the same as they were centuries ago despite the fact that people are dying on a daily basis. I feel that it is ironic how one of the holiest places on earth can not come to a consensus to allow everyone to practice free-will. 

11A: Multiple Meanings of the Hijab in France

   
     After reading this chapter, the only thing that is certain about the hijab debate in France is that there is nothing very certain at all!  Some Muslim women, in an attempt to prove their identity, and remain proud of it, choose to wear the hijab as a socioeconomic symbol.  It makes a statement for sure.  However, in present-day, there are still some Muslim women living in France that consciously refrain from wearing these traditional Muslim headpieces.  The hijab bears cultural and religious significance, and the symbolism behind such attire is not taken lightly by the Muslim population.  It is nearly viewed as sacred, and is quite important to their people.
     I found it interesting that in this course, there was an entire class dedicated to discussing the "other", especially the "other's" role in religious circles.  As we discussed in class, the "other" is classified, in religious as well as in cultural circles as any person that does not identify with our own religion or habits.  While I would say that we, as a globe, have come a long way since the prejudices of our fathers, differences still exist, and unfortunately, many people still have a negative concept of the "other".  For instance, in this reading, it talked about the three girls who were punished and sent from their school solely because they had worn headscarves, which was viewed as somewhat of a threat or rebellion to the existing traditional, Republican ideals that were held by the government.  This event is referred to as the "l'affaire du foulard", and divides between the Western and Eastern views regarding headdresses for Muslim women and its proper role have lasted since.
    Again, we have the objectification and targeting of the "other".  Some people still view the hijab as nearly a threat to others; some people still associate it with terroristic acts and Islamic extremism.  Putting myself in these women's shoes... I don't know what I would do if people ever judged me so harshly based on the fact that I wear a cross around my neck.  However, this is modern-day reality, and it is difficult to think about. While some women wear the hijab with pride, expressing their identity, others still refrain from wearing them for very sad reasons.
   
   
   

AFTER WATCHING: Between faith and hope

           

             

It was obvious from watching this documentary that Jerusalem is a holy place for many reasons. The question I was asking myself during this video was why? Of course there is the historical evidence. Jerusalem consists of many old religious statutes. The rock where Abraham ascended a latter to heaven, the church of the Holy Sepulchre, the temple Mount, and the Western Wall as well as numerous others is all located in this city. The thing I was left wondering was - does it matter so much as too what is actually left standing in Jerusalem or does it more so matter that so many people there actually believe all these things happened here?

            Jerusalem is a no doubt a holy place; it’s not a typical city. It has no ports; it is not the center of any type of industry, other then the ‘holiness’ industry. Jerusalem is very concentrated on religion; there is not much else that it is known for. I think that the fact that so many people believe it to be a holy place makes it holy. In my opinion it is the belief that makes things true, not the evidence. Everything has its own truth, as long as someone believes it to be true.

            With this idea in mind I started thinking about the following ideas and questions.

-       What would mean/ feel like for a non- believer to be immersed in these ideas?

-       The reason for the violence could be due to the fact that they have contradicting beliefs and feel threatened by others strong beliefs.

-       Jerusalem is a holy but dangerous place because it needs to have a balance of believing what you want but also the people need to be accepting towards others.

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-Claire Shumaker