Before I visit the Badia, I want to reflect a bit on “Water Dress,” the photograph I saw yesterday.
It turns out that “water dress” is a fashion meme; everyone’s designed one.
But it reminds me of Ingres:
And Man Ray:
And Fortuny:
And I wonder how many times the model had to pour her dress, to get the angle and the amount right, and her head positioned right. And where could it have been shot, in the public baths of…? (I’ve emailed the MNAF to ask for more information on the photo.)
Now, to the Badia: I like its story more than what it actually contains:
“The badia or abbey, dedicated to the Virgin, was founded in 978 by Willa, Marchioness of Tuscany, and assigned to the Cassinese Benedictines. When Willa’s son Ugo became Margrave of Tuscany he considerably augmented his mother’s benefactions. In the Badia Fiorentina, where he is buried, his memory was kept alive over the centuries by ceremonies and by learned writings, such as Dante’s Paradiso. A Mass is still said for the repose of his soul every 21 December… the church’s greatest masterpiece: the altarpiece showing the Virgin appearing to St. Bernard, painted by Filippino Lippi between 1482 and 1486 for Piero di Francesco del Pugliese. The painting was moved here from Marignolle in 1530 to save it from destruction during the siege….”
Imagine my chagrin, today Thursday, when I discovered the Badia’s only open on Monday.