Stars and Travel

STARS AND TRAVEL

A CYCLE OF ASTRONOMICAL XIII CENTURY IN GREATER PORTAL
THE CHURCH OF SAN MARCO
TO VENICE

The first arch of the main portal of St. Mark's Basilica, which dates back to the thirteenth century, contains a stunning, early sculptural representation of the celestial sphere, with stars and constellations represented not only Western use, but according to a wide range of languages ​​from North Europe to India and China.

And 'This is the content of the innovative research project for which the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice this year received a MIUR contribution to the enhancement of cultural heritage little known or unpublished. The result is an exhibition of history, art, travel and astronomy, rich multimedia and multi-sensory materials.

Designed to be accessible to visitors from all over the world, the march arch with its extraordinary iconographic experiment was entirely obscured over time, along with the original context: that of an enterprising Venice, bold and polietnica of his artistic language and syncretic culturally inclusive.

At the time when this relief was made, all travelers, not only by sea but also by land, practiced celestial navigation, or were using the stars to navigate. So Altair "the Eagle that rises," Vega "the Eagle swooping on its prey", the warrior Hercules, the Pleiades, were universally known figures, along with their legends.

The challenge is to revitalize for a moment that world, making him discover an audience of non-specialists.

Here comes the 'Academy of Fine Arts, with its students capable of a particularly fresh and innovative approach to the development of cultural heritage: the astronomical cycle recently discovered in San Marco is highlighted by students and faculty of the New Technologies Course for the Arts Academy of Fine Arts in Venice, in collaboration with the School of Sculpture, Decoration, Graphic Art, and with the support of the chair of the Information Processing Systems of the University Ca 'Foscari.

Edited by Gloria Vallese, professor of iconography and iconology and Triennial Course coordinator of New Technologies for the Arts, the exhibition explores the potential of new media narratives aimed at audiences of different ages and abilities.

The project was made ​​possible by a Ministry of Education funding for innovative projects to enhance the cultural heritage (DL 12/09/2013, 104), and was inaugurated as part of the participation of the Academy of Fine Arts to Artnight 2016.