From Italy into Germany

We have been quite active since the last posting!  The last time I sent something, Gay and I were enjoying the sights, sounds, and food of Venice.  We have since taken the train to Frankfurt, rented a car, and driven to Eisenach and Erfurt.  I will post a number of photos to show you some of what we have been doing and what we have seen.

This is a photo showing a building with the inscription showing Murano.  It is an island in the Venetian lagoon.  For centuries, it has had a creative and thriving glass making industry.  The art that is produced is amazing.

There were a number of exhibits of glass art to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Italy becoming a nation.  This is the one we liked the best.

After Murano, we visited the island of Burano.  It is known both for it lace making industry (Again, incredible.) and for the pastel color scheme of the houses.

On August 13th, we were back exploring Venice itself.  The picture above is of the Doge's palace.  The Doge was one of the important leaders in the Venetian republic.

The Venetian leadership often used intrigue and anonymous denunciations to keep control within the republic.  This photo shows the slot someone could use to slip through such a secret written denunciation.

Here is a bit of irony.  This painting showing the Doge paying homage to Mary and the Christ Child is the room into which the secret denunciations would come.  So, the official presentation was that the leadership was following Christ while it was actually using secret means to condemn a number of its citizens.

One of the striking experiences we have had was just how strong the veneration of Mary is in this part of the world.  This painting shows the bodily assumption of Mary into heaven.

Here are a couple of photos of us enjoying Venice.

August 14th was our long travel day by train to Frankfurt.  This photo is in the morning as we are leaving Venice.

This is from the train as we are passing through northern Itlay.

We have made it into Germany.  Do you think that this is a special welcoming gift?

After we picked up the rental car, our first stop was Eisenach.  This is a photo of Luther house.  Luther stayed here while he was studying in upper grammar school.

One of the exhibits in the Luther House had to do with Lutheran parsonage life.  No longer was it a celibate priest but a married pastor.  The parsonage became a place for meetings, discussion, and a source of social action.  When Gay saw this, she gave words to the woman, "You invited how many to dinner?"

Just outside of Eisenach is the Wartburg Castle.  This is where Luther was taken, for his safety, after the Diet of Worms at which he had refused to recant his beliefs. 

This is the room in the Warburg where Luther stayed.  It was this room in which he translated the New Testament into German in the space of eight months.

This is a view of Eisenach from the front gate of the Wartburg.

It is now August 15th and we have made it to Erfurt which is another center of activity for Martin Luther.  This is a picture of the Predigerkirche (Preachers Church).  It became a Lutheran church in the Reformation.

Though it is hard to see, I am including this photo.  It comes from the Predigerkirche and the painting is one of the oldest in Erfurt.  It depicts the death of Mary.  This is in contrast to the doctrine and paintings of Mary's assumption into heaven.  This painting which comes from the 14th century shows a time before the doctrine of her assumption became universal in the Roman Catholic church.

This photo shows the Augustinian cloister which Luther joined as a monk.

This is the sole remaining building of the University of Erfurt where Luther studied.

This is the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Erfurt.  This is where Luther was ordained into the priesthood.

This picture shows the altar area of the cathedral.  It was here that Luther was so paralyzed by fright that he almost was not able to say his first Mass.

  

This brings us up to the present.  As you can see, we have been experiencing much in our travels.  We now have less than a week left in Europe.  It has been a rich experience.

Blessings!