L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014 www.italoamericano.com L'Italo-Americano 3 military chaplains and of jurists. The Saint was the favorite of Franciscan Father Junipero Serra, who founded the Mission San Juan Capistrano in 1776. The 7th of 21 Spanish Missions estab- lished in California, it is today one of the State's most important historical, cultural, and educa- tional centers. Among the major areas of interest inside the Mission is the Roman Catholic Basilica, designed after the origi- nal Stone Church was destroyed by an earthquake in 1812. One of the main attractions of Mission San Juan Capistrano is also a fascinating spectacle of nature: the return of the swallows to the city. After traveling 7500 miles from Goya, Argentina, where they spend the winter months, these little birds have been welcomed home every year by locals and tourists since 1939, when a live NBC radio broadcast made them famous nationwide. Goya is another "sister city" to San Juan Capistrano, as is Petra, on the Spanish island of Majorca, which is the birthplace of Father Junipero Serra. The Fiesta de las Golondrinas (Festival of the Swallows) falls on March 19, a date that also marks Father's Day in Italy and St. Joseph's Day in the Christian world, a religious festivity wide- ly diffused in Italy and brought to the United States by the early immigrants. It is still celebrated by many local parishes by preparing the traditional banquet in honor of the Saint, and sharing food with the poor and homeless, as described on page four. San Juan Capistrano and its Italian "Sister City" Michelangelo, still in the spotlight 539 years later Continued from page 1 In the days that mark the 539 th anniversary of his birth, Michelangelo continues to make the news. Born in Tuscany on March 6, 1475, Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni is regarded as one of the major artists of all times, as well as a symbol of the Italian Renaissance together with his fellow Tuscan Leonardo Da Vinci. This is due to his immense talent - mainly in sculpture but also in painting, architecture, and poetry - that generated stunning and powerful pieces of art. A clear example is the extraor- dinary statue of the Pietà, housed in St. Peter's Basilica. And the Basilica itself is the result of his genius and fame, that earned him the project despite his advanced age - in fact, the redesigned dome, based on that of the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, was completed only after his death. Michelangelo's undisputed prestige is also testified by the fact that he was the first Western artist whose biography was pub- lished while he was still alive. Actually, two different biogra- phies were issued during his life- time. The first one, authored by Giorgio Vasari, portrayed him as the cornerstone of artistic inno- vation during the Italian Renaissance, destined to have a substantial influence on world art in the centuries to come. As a matter of fact, many artists tried to imitate his unique style, and their work resulted in the subse- quent art movement called Mannerism. If Vasari's biography was unauthorized, the second one was written by one of Michelangelo's assistants and reflected the mas- ter's intervention and interest in promoting his own image. This modern attitude, along with his vast popularity and the consider- able earnings from his work, make him the first celebrity artist in the contemporary fashion. And in these days, Michelangelo is making the news again – even if indirectly – because of the controversial advertising campaign launched by an American weapon manu- facturer and running in some spe- cialized magazines. It shows the world-famous image of Michelangelo's sculpture of David – another of his master- pieces, on view at the Accademia di Belle Arti (Academy of Fine Arts) in Florence - holding a brand-new rifle defined as "A work of art." Representatives of the Italian government, including the Minister of Cultural Heritage Dario Franceschini, and mem- bers of the public opinion have harshly criticized what they con- sider to be an inappropriate use of the artwork. But what would Michelangelo himself think about that? Would he consider it an outrage or would he argue, quoting Italian art critic and former MP Vittorio Sgarbi, that "Art is full of vio- lence, and the adulteration of images is not new to contempo- rary art"? Probably, the Italian Renaissance artist would focus more on the aesthetics of the image, and he would appreciate the unexpected publicity. In fact, he was no stranger to causing scandals that even contributed to increase his popularity – as if his mastery of art wasn't enough. Among them, the best known is certainly the one relating to the nudities depicted in the Last Judgment fresco that decorates the Vatican's Sistine Chapel: they were subject to censorship and covered with fig leaves and loincloths during the 1560s. But what is for sure is that he would be proud of celebrating his 539 th birthday still in the spot- light. SILVIA SIMONETTI Michelangelo's Pietà (1498-1499) is one of the Vatican's best known artworks

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