L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MAY 4, 2023 www.italoamericano.org 12 L'Italo-Americano I n I t a l y , a s i n m a n y o t h e r p a r t s o f t h e world, churches are t r a d i t i o n a l l y b u i l t with their main altar facing East. In Rome, San Pietro, San Giovanni in Lat- erano, and Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri all face East. In Florence, the beauti- f u l S a n L o r e n z o , w i t h i t s breathtaking façade designed by Brunelleschi, also looks t o w a r d t h e r i s i n g s u n . I n Venice, the exotic Basilica di San Marco, the symbol itself of the city, faces the Orient, too. The practice, which dates back to early Christianity, u s e d t o b e v e r y c o m m o n . B a c k t h e n , c h u r c h e s w e r e designed to face the rising sun, as a way to symbolically link it with the resurrection of Christ. According to Chris- tian tradition, Jesus was res- u r r e c t e d o n t h e t h i r d d a y after his crucifixion, and his resurrection occurred early in the morning: by building churches facing East, the ris- ing sun would shine on the altar, representing the tri- umph of light over darkness and the victory of Christ over death. B u t t h e a s s o c i a t i o n between places of worship a n d t h e O r i e n t i s a d e e p - rooted cultural phenomenon in other spiritual systems, too; indeed, it has a rich and diverse history, with connec- tions to various religious tra- ditions and practices. For example, in the Hindu tra- dition, the sunrise is consid- ered a sacred time of the day, and the place where it hap- pens, the East, is associated w i t h n e w b e g i n n i n g s a n d with the renewal of life. Simi- l a r l y , i n m a n y N a t i v e American cultures , the East is associated with new beginnings and the birth of the day, and it is not unusual to see sacred structures such as tipis, sweat lodges, and kivas oriented towards the East. In Islam, the orienta- tion of mosques towards the Kaaba in Mecca, located to the East of the holy city, is an essential component of wor- ship: Muslims all over the world face the direction of the Kaaba during prayer, a symbol of the unity of their community and of its con- nection to the holy center of Islam. Similarly, it is com- mon in Judaism to face the East while praying, as the Temple of Jerusalem, in the Old Testament, was said to be oriented in that direc- tion. This practice has con- tinued through the ages and is still observed by many Jewish communities today, a sign of the continuity and c o n n e c t i o n b e t w e e n t h e J e w i s h p e o p l e a n d t h e i r ancient religious roots. But orienting churches towards the rising sun also had more prosaic and prac- tical reasons. In the early C h r i s t i a n e r a , b e f o r e t h e widespread use of artificial l i g h t i n g , c h u r c h e s w e r e designed to take advantage of natural light. By facing east, the rising sun would provide natural light that would illuminate the altar, making it the focal point of the church. The use of nat- ural light in churches was also a way to create a sense of awe and reverence among the congregation. The dra- matic effect of light flooding i n t o t h e s p a c e c r e a t e d a s p i r i t u a l a t m o s p h e r e , adding to the sense of rever- e n c e a n d s a n c t i t y t h a t — and is — central to Christian worship. A s t h e u s e o f a r t i f i c i a l lighting became more wide- spread, these practical rea- sons became less important. H o w e v e r , t h e t r a d i t i o n endured, and many church- es built today still face the East as a way to honor this ancient practice, and recon- nect with the rich history and traditions of the Christ- ian faith. Symbolism, light, a bit of theatricality, even. But also traveling. Yes, because there was another very functional rea- son to build churches facing e a s t , a n d i t a l l h a d t o d o w i t h h o l y t r i p s a n d p i l - g r i m s . D u r i n g t h e e a r l y Christian era and well into the Middle Ages, pilgrim- a g e s w e r e a n i m p o r t a n t aspect of religious practice. Christians would travel long distances to see important r e l i g i o u s s i t e s s u c h a s Jerusalem or Rome, where they could visit the tombs of martyrs and other holy fig- ures. These journeys were often undertaken on foot a n d c o u l d t a k e w e e k s o r even months to complete. As you can imagine, find- ing their way in new and u n f a m i l i a r p l a c e s w a s n ' t easy for pilgrims, in fact, it could become pretty chal- l e n g i n g . B u t b y b u i l d i n g churches facing east, archi- tects could take advantage of the position of the sun to help travelers orient them- selves and find their way to the church itself, or wherev- er they needed to go. Let us see why: in the morning, the sun rises in the East and m o v e s a c r o s s t h e s k y towards the West and, as it does so, the shadows cast by the building change, provid- i n g a v i s u a l c u e t h a t c a n help travelers navigate and orient themselves. Simple, right? Yes, and very useful, especially in areas where landmarks were scarce and the terrain was unfamiliar. Over time, with pilgrim- ages becoming more com- mon, the practice of orient- ing churches towards the E a s t b e c a m e d e e p l y ingrained in Christian archi- t e c t u r e . T o d a y , e v e n i n places where the original practical reasons may no longer apply, the eastward o r i e n t a t i o n o f c h u r c h e s remains an important and enduring aspect of religious tradition and symbolism. The San Ponzio e Immacolata Concezione church, in Monticello d'Alba, Piedmont (Photo: Rostislav Glinsky/Dreamstime) LIFE PEOPLE PLACES HERITAGE TRADITIONS CHIARA D'ALESSIO Light, worship, and… finding the right direction: here's why our old churches always face East

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