Cloister of San Gregorio Armeno

The cloister of San Gregorio Armeno was one of Bill and my best discoveries in Naples.

One day we noticed the entrance to a monastary. We had no idea what we would find at the top of the stairs.

It sure was beautiful.

We went in and paid five euros for entrance to the cloister of what turned out to be a very active monastery of nuns.

It was filled with mature trees, shrubs and bushes.

The guide we picked up identified a 19th century sculpture group attributed to Matteo Bottiglieri:

Meeting of Christ with the Samaritan woman at the well.

There were benches along the walls of the open space. I thought this plant looked very well cared for.

The Salotto della Badessa (salon of the Abbess)

has amazing 18 century decoration.

Only a week before I had lamented the lack of a bench in a green space in the densely populated centre of Naples. Now I had found one, not 15 minutes from our apartment.

From our bench the garden was serene and quiet. Contemplation welcomed.

Just off the cloister is a refectory. One of the sisters was organizing the many pockets in her habit.

What a nice room for a communal meal under an interesting fresco!

Just outside the walls we imagined the rush and noise of central Naples,

while inside it was a little slice of heaven,

 immaculately tended by the invisible sisters.

Church of San Gregorio Armeno

In the centre of Naples, on the street of the Christmas creches (Via San Gregorio Armeno) is the entrance to the Church of St Gregory the Armenian: a Baroque jewel.

One enters into a room of elegant columns

to be welcomed by the sisters. We often found this nun deep in meditation when not at her information desk.

John liked this poster inviting visitors to an Adoration of the Eucharist (the body of Christ in the form of a blessed wafer of bread) every Thursday between 9 a.m. and 12:30.

The church envelopes you in rich Baroque decoration in a tall but contained space.

High windows allow light to pour into the interior,

illuminating the paintings,

the bas-reliefs,

the liturgical gold,

and this exotic gent. One of the Magi, perhaps?

Would sumptuous or opulent best describe the interior? It takes a while to focus on details,

like this sculpture of Mary with Angels adorning the dome,

above the altar.

The entrance to the Church is portièred and positioned below the choir and organ.

The entrance doors to the church are beautifully carved

with images of the Saint Gregory the Illuminator.

When the church closed at midday, the meditative nun allowed our passage once more onto the crowded street. Then we all, sisters and visitors, made our way to lunch.

Tomaso Binga at MADRE

John and I had never heard of Tomaso Binga before visiting Naples' contemporary art museum where we found a career retrospective underway.

We entered with mixed feelings but by the end of our visit we were firm fans of this lively conceptual artist.

In the early 70s Binga began using discarded styrofoam packaging as a base for pictures clipped from magazines. We want to make some too!

Risata sardonica/Ridiamo ridiamo (Sardonic laugh / Let's laugh, let's laugh), 1972. Collage on polystyrene.

Sono... ME, 1972, from the pair: Sono... IO, Sono... ME (I am I. I am me)." Photo by Verita Monselles.

In 1976, Binga made 26 Alfabeto Pop (Pop Alphabet) pictures, one for each letter of the alphabet.

Working with photographer Verita Monselles, Binga cut out pictures of herself to use in these collages. Here is a closer look at C di Ciliege (C for cherries).

T di Topo means T for mouse. John would love to buy a "board-book" version of this series.

She also spelled MATER (Latin for mother) with her body.

Also in 1976 Binga printed "Carta da parato (Wallpaper)" using illegible writing as a decorative design.  Here is a life-sized installation using the wallpaper.

Because men are privileged in the art world the artist took the name Tomaso. In 1977 she performed "Bianca Menna (her real name) e Tomaso Binga (her male artist self). Oggi spose (Just Married)."

Amid all the conceptual work it was fun to see a gorgeous watercolour drawing.

 John lingered in a room full of framed poems, trying to read the Italian: "nei boschi/sopra il mare/dentro il cielo/vivo-vivendo/io sono/lì/io sono li bera/io sono/Li llith 

(in the woods/above the sea/inside the sky/alive-living/I am/there/I am free/I am/Lillith)"

case rosse a tre piani/muri imbottiti di casse umane

case rosse a tre piani/muri imbottiti di ossa umane

case rosse a tre piani/muri imbottiti di cose umane

ultima porta

(three-story red houses/walls stuffed with human crates

three-story red houses/walls stuffed with human bones

three-story red houses/walls stuffed with human things/

last door)."

Una Vittoria zittita (A Silenced Victory)

"Abbiamo Bisogno Come Donne E Femministe Gestirci Hanno Impunemente Lordato Mondo Non Operando Positivamente Questa Rivolta Segna Tuttavia Una Vittoria Zittita 

(We Need How Women And Feminists Manage Us They Have Dirtied The World With Impunity By Not Operating Positively This Revolt However Marks A Silenced Victory)"

The catalogue for the show featured a large selection of her poetry with English translations. John is reading his way through them with moderate success. Wish him luck!

Photograph from a performance of Il confessore elettronico (The electronic confessor), Rome, 1989. Tomaso Binga lives and works in Rome. She has a 95th birthday coming up soon.

Spanish Quarter, Naples

Naples was under Spanish rule in the 16th century.

High density housing for the troops was built on the hills west of Via Toledo. Expect steep stairs.

Expect also a feast of texture and visual incident.

Expect shrines,

shrines of a delirious idiosyncrasy.

It is a wonderful neighbourhood for aimless wandering. Bill and I returned there many times in our month long visit.

We were frankly dazzled

by the textures of everyday life

and charmed by evocative juxtapositions of detail.

We've been showing you empty streets,

but nearby the streets are crowded with cars,

and Neapolitan motorbikes. Watch your toes!

Bill noticed two murals by the same artist.

In the absence of any information we are calling him or her The Master of the Black Figure.

Before lunch we found shrines framed in blue neon.

And a moving evocation of Christ on the cross.

We proceeded to lunch under the eye of this life-sized cardboard soccer player.