"In every block of marble I see a statue as plain as though it stood before me, shaped and perfect in attitude and action. I have only to hew away the rough walls that imprison the lovely apparition to reveal it to the other eyes as mine see it."-Michelangelo

Michelangelo's David was a masterpiece created by the Italian artist Michelangelo between 1501 and 1504 when the artist was 26 years old. The 17 ft marble statue represented the biblical character, David. The statue was originally created to be positioned with a series of statues of prophets, on the roofline of the east end of the Florence Cathedral. Once it was completed the size and weight made it impossible to hoist to the roof line.

The statue was started by Florentine sculptor Agostino di Duccio in 1463. It is unclear why he left the project and ten years later Antonio Rossellino was commissioned to take up where Agostino had left off. Rossellino was also terminated from the project and the marble piece was left exposed to the elements for 25 years. In 1501 Michelangelo was given the contract to complete the block of stone which they had named "The Giant". It took more than two years for the statue to be completed. The statue was originally placed in a public square outside of the Palazzo della Signoria and was moved to the Accademia Gallery in Florence in 1873 to protect it from the elements. A replica was put at the original location in 1910.

506 years later a fiberglass replica of the David statue was set into place where the original statue was intended. The statue remained on the roofline of the Florence Cathedral for one day only so that photographs could be taken. These photographs show how the Operai, who commissioned the project, actually intended it to be.

The link below will take you to the news article at Discovery.com which shows the statue as it was to have been.

http://news.discovery.com/history/michelangelos-david-as-it-was-meant-to-be-seen.html

I was at Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas Strip yesterday for work - ran into a fullsize replica of David. He is everywhere!!

Enjoyed the music! thanks!

Gregory I was pope from 590 to 604 was often referred to as Gregory the Great. He was the child of a noble Roman family with strong ties to the church. He was originally a monk but was later "called back into it (service) and served as a papal envoy to Byzantium." (Thomson, 28)

Gregory returned in 585 from Constantinople and returned to monastery life before being elected to Pope by acclamation in 590. Although he was never truly satisfied in the position of pope and longed for the contemplative life of a monk, he did effect great change in the early church in Rome.

Pope Gregory I was instrumental in the spread of Christianity in England. Although he was certainly interested in the spread of the faith, his motives for growth may have also been to increase the prestige of his see. (Thomson, pg 9) He was also known for his writings. He penned sermons, commentaries, rules for pastors, many of which have survived to today. He was also instrumental in liturgical reform and introduced Gregorian chant into the worship.

The "artifact" I share is a link to his writings that is available free online. This is Gregory's "Life of Our Most Holy Father St. Benedict" in which he chronicles St. Benedict's early life in Italy, his transformation into a monastic life and his lifelong work and contribution to the movement. The second half of the text is a reproduction of St. Benedict's "Rule of St. Benedict". Although Gregory did not personally know Benedict he did know close friends and disciples from which he was able to prepare this work.

http://www.ccel.org/ccel/gregory/life_rule.toc.html

I wasn't sure if you knew of this site...I have downloaded a bunch of nice old stuff!! Downloading a pdf goes very nice on the kindle for easy reading.

The Poor Clares was a convent founded by Saint Clare in 1212 in Assisi, Italy. She was a noble woman who left her home and followed St. Francis of Assisi. Her family initially attempted to take her back by force but her dedication and commitment led them to agree with her decision. She studied initially at a Benedictine convent and later St. Francis offered her a house adjoining the church of San Damiano, where she became abbess. Claire dedicated her order to the strict principles of St. Francis and was far more extreme in the rule of poverty than any of the other orders for women that were known at that time. They were dedicated to living only on what alms were given them by the locals.

The movement grew throughout Northern Italy as women devoted to the Franciscan ideal came to a monastic lifestyle, including Clare's mother and two sisters. The Cardinal Bishop of Ostia, the future Pope Gregory IX prepared a formal rule, Ugolino's rule, which would allow the convents to own property but for it to be held in trust by the Papacy. Clare disagreed with this rule and in 1253 was able to obtain a papal bull which established her own rule which forbade the ownership of property either by individuals or the community of nuns. The communities of nuns that adopted the Ugolino's rule were known as the Order of Saint Clare, those who adopted Clare's new rule were known as Poor Clares.

Today The Poor Clares are alive and well! Attached is a video of The Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration from Canton, Ohio. The first American order was established in 1921 and was originally one of the branches of the Order of St. Clare that was begun in France in 1854 by Marie Claire Bouillevaux. The video shows their lifestyle as it is today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fh1lXW1qqI8&feature=related