Concordia CMLL Study Tour

By Aimé Desparois

One might say that today was not that busy. However, calling today that is only possible when comparing it to some of the absolutely packed days that we’ve had so far in this school trip. When our days are full, it can’t be easy to forget that visiting two different places and travelling for over 200km in a bus is no small feat. Now that it’s about halfway through the program, I want to say that I am proud of us for maintaining our enthusiasm through these fast-paced days.

The two places we went are Hosios Loukas and Thebes. At Hosios Loukas, we visited a wonderful monastery. Then we went to Thebes, where we visited the city’s archaeological museum and then walked around to see its omnipresent archaeological sites while listening to Clarisse’s presentation. In both activities in Thebes, we were able to witness its long history of occupation.

The monastery, however, is what really stuck out to me today. Everything there left me with a deep sense of awe. We could smell the incense and the wax of the candles. We could hear the life present there through the constant singing of the birds, different songs layered until they were indistinguishable. I would include the recording I took of the birds if I could. I don’t know how they managed to have that many birds living there, but the ambience created was magical.

My favorite part is that we could see so much gorgeous religious art and I’m not just talking about the beautiful gilded pieces of the ceilings, although those were very impressive as well. The art was everywhere, from the decorations to the architecture to the furnishing. I was particularly fascinated by a specific parament hanging from a lectern in the middle of the bigger church of the two. It was a red-on-white artwork depicting two words. The piece was made in needlework and obviously done by hand, whereas other pediments featured machine embroidery.

As someone who loves doing needlework, particularly cross-stitch, I can attest that it takes so much time to do that kind of art. It’s incredibly meticulous work for hours and hours on end and it cannot be automatized. I find that it speaks particularly loudly of the artist’s faith. I might not be religious myself, but I could at least feel the devotion that these people have and I have nothing but respect for that.