"I especially enjoyed the article about the woman painter, Gentileschi. I've seen some of her work at the Met though I never really paid too much attention to it. That's my loss, as I would now enjoy seeing one of her paintings. As long as art exists, Italian artists will be standing in front of the line. For me, their work is so good, particularly by today's standards, that I am inclined to think that they came from another planet. And it's such a paradox that in an age where you were old at 30, these people worked as though time was no object. And today, when we go till 100, time is money, and we haven't even the patience to do it right and well one time...and wouldn't know how to, either. And I don't think I speak only for myself. But, in apology and to be fair, I don't think we can work that way, any more than we can imitate their handwriting. And I have often heard artists claim that even if they could paint like that, they wouldn't. I always cringe and laugh when I hear that, yet recognize that there is some truth to what they say, although I don't know why. Maybe I am totally brainwashed by modern life."

I totally agree with Mike. I've always thought the artists and craftsmen of Italy to be a world apart, and that goes for all the arts. The Italians seem to go a step further in their thinking and creating and designing, giving just that little bit more of imagination and originality to their work. Maybe they are from another planet.

You know, I suddenly realized that I did indeed have a favorite church when I lived in Rome...but it wasn't just the architecture or artworks that made me love going to Sant'Andrea delle Valle. What really lured me there was that the great Giacomo Puccini set the first act of his Tosca there.