1. What new insights did you gain about the spiritual roles women have played in the Catholic tradition through your visits to churches and relics?
So far I feel like I have had a lot of exposure to Catholic women and their positions within the Roman Catholic Church in many different ways. To start, in the chapel section of the Capuchin Crypt there was a plaque dedicated to Maria Felice Peretti, the grand-niece of Pope Sixtus V and a supporter of the Capuchin order. Every other part of the crypt is solely male remains. Her heart is preserved and held within the Crypt, because she asked that “her heart be sealed in the crypt since the rest of her body could not be.” In St Peter’s Basilica, the altar dedicated to Mother Mary was not as obvious as the other altars, and there was a separate room with a large painting of her, but it was behind a set of bars and could hardly be seen. On the other hand, there are 3 female patron saints of Europe, the female saints are very well respected, and Mother Mary is one of the most important figures in the Catholic tradition. To me it felt like there was some kind of disconnect between the respect that is held for holy women in the Catholic church and the way that those women are honored in practice. I do like how many art pieces there are of Mother Mary; I feel like of any of the holy women, she is the one most often respected in practice, whether it be through prayer or artwork dedication or other forms of respect. Overall, I learned that more women are revered in the Catholic tradition than I originally thought, and I think that is very cool, even if some improvements can be made to how those women are respected in practice. I would also like to learn more on this subject, as I feel there is much more information that I have not accessed yet.
3. What did your experience in Siena (e.g., cooking class, local sites) teach you about cultural respect and connection to community?
I learned a lot about the different ways that community members can connect with one another and how culture can persist over time. Siena is a very old city, and while many things have changed, there are some aspects of the city that have remained. Many of the buildings are thousands of years old, the districts of the city are still existing from the Middle Ages, and the first winner of the Palio di Siena (the semi-annual horse race) is unknown because it has been going on for so long. The districts and the races seem to instill a lot of individual pride for those in each of the districts, while still uniting the city for a common event and competition. Upon hearing about the districts, many of us in the group thought of the districts from the Hunger Games, but the contrast between those is very strong. The districts in the Hunger Games are competing against each other, but they are fighting for their lives and for the destruction of the other districts. Meanwhile, the districts in Siena are still fighting against each other, but they are fighting for a winner’s banner, painted by a Senese artist, and bragging rights. The competition seems to be more fun and good-natured, instead of becoming something that could tear the city apart. The competition not only builds public unity, but it also helps to support Senese artists. This year, the Goose district won the horse race (2 days before we got here, mind you), and we saw many Goose flags, pictures, and even a parade to celebrate the winners. There is so much history in Siena and I think the fact that this tradition has survived for so long is a testament to its effectiveness in bringing the city together.