A new way to visit Florentine churches
The Jubilee will be bringing millions of curious visitors to the cities of art and therefore millions of problems and questions that risk being unanswered. Above all, the descendants of the pilgrims who travelled along the roads of Italy towards Rome will need useful information about the places they find en route. However they will be pressed for time and not all of them have the cultural knowledge to really appreciate the countless details offered by Florence's artistic heritage. This huge request for information that is about to invest the city therefore needs to be provided with suitable and reliable instruments. Apart from this, it is fairly obvious that the deep religious significance behind the Jubilee means that the places of worship - the churches, cathedrals and basilicas - where religion has happily married art, will be of particular interest for most of these visitors. Based on elementary but revolutionary principals, "In Chiesa"is a new publication designed for the general public that tries to bridge this gap. It offers more than the usual multi-paged guidebook because it gives the visitor the impression of standing in the middle of the monumental complex while also providing basic information on the more important works of art and their siting.
The cover page of "In Chiesa""In Chiesa" is a pocket-sized folded leaflet; the main page contains a "map" of the church in colour, viewed from above, with a "blow up" of its structural characteristics: a clear, concise and complete view of the entire complex containing the essential information on its works of art. The leaflet also includes a detailed description of the facade and the siting of the building, with a descriptive chronography and texts prepared by the Diocesan Offices of Catechesis through Art. "In Chiesa" has published three "tours" so far: the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, the Church of Santa Croce and the Church of Santo Spirito. Last, but not least, a consistent part (1.000 lire) of the costs of this publication, on sale at 4.000 lire in all bookshops and kiosks, will be devoted to the restoration of works of art. Yet another "pilgrim's way" for religion and art whose first "stop" will involve work of conservation on the organ in the Church of Santo Spirito.
