July 27^th – The last Modena blog post; what should I really say to those who read it?

Very Creative Serpentine Lithographic Vandalism.

Our time in Modena has come to a close and there’s so much that we’ve seen and done. How and why Johns Hopkins AAP selected Modena for a cultural heritage seminar may have been clearly stated somewhere along the way, but somehow I missed that key point.  Regardless, without any doubt, the perfect place to study cultural heritage was selected.

A Weatherman Who Knows Astronomy and History…

Let’s see… agriculture, art, archaeology, art deco hotel, astronomy, balsamic vinegar, canals, cathedrals, climate change, cuisine, church history, earthquakes, farm markets, feudal towers, historic preservation, geology, gemology, geophysics, military academies, mineralogy, museum management, Parmesan cheese, Prosciutto ham, opera, race cars, restaurants, seismology, soil structures, WHS management and challenges, and zoology. Did I overlook anything? Yes, people, the people of Modena, past, present and future.

Courtyard of the Military Academy in the Ducal Palace.

Thinking of Modenese people in the present – many thanks are in order for our wonderful Italian Professor Dr. Padovani along with our many curators, docents, guides, hosts, and lecturers. To me, two of our guides stood out in a special ways.

A Connoisseur of Fine Art Standing in the Hall That’s in the Painting.

First, remember Signor Luca Lombroso the Metrological Technician up in the former Astronomical Observatory? I was amazed at his ability to site numerous regional historic persons and special events and integrate them into the observatory’s journey through the centuries, and by trade he’s a meteorologist, not an astronomer, and not a historian.  

The Duomo and the Garland Tower, We Will Miss Them.

Second, did you receive one of the free opera house guides titled Municipal Theatre of Modena – Lucian Pavarotti? It’s a well-organized document and the credits note Elisa Pagliarini as the document’s Text Collaborator. A quick review of the opera house’s website indicates that Signora Elisa Pagliarini is the Official Curator of the opera house and the head of the institution’s music education program for school students. The first name of our humble opera house guide, reportedly a volunteer, was Elisa. Hmm… Did I crack the code and discover our humble volunteer is really a major players in the opera house?

Elijah Ordered His New Ferrari Exactly Like This One.

Speaking of the opera house, one of the highlights for me was hearing our classmates Dani and Greg sing opera on the Pavarotti stage. Like many artistic endeavors, operatic signing is something that I cannot do, but it’s something that I can certainly appreciate and enjoy.

Dani at the Ancient and Immense Roman “NO Parking” Sign.

That short performance was something Dani and Greg can tell their kids and grandkids (when the time comes). They were great, and we were all there for their operatic debuts.

The 1841 Opening Night Playbill Is Still On The Opera House Wall!

I hope to see many of you at graduation in the Spring. It was great being in this seminar, the opportunity of a life-time.