anner.vittoriothevampire-第35章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


t　been　here。　Professor　Trexler's　brilliant　scholarship　gave　me　tools　to　gather　thoughts　about　and　observations　pertaining　to　those　things　I　most　love。　Other　works　by　Professor　Trexler　include　his　Journey　of　the　Magi：　Meanings　in　History　of　a　Christian　Story；　a　work　only　recently　discovered　by　me。　Readers　familiar　with　my　previous　novels　might　remember　the　intense　and　blasphemously　fervent　relationship　between　my　character　the　vampire　Armand　and　the　Florentine　painting　The　Procession　of　the　Magi；　created　for　Piero　de'　Medici　by　Benozzo　Gozzoli；　which　can　be　seen　in　all　its　glory　in　Florence　today。
　On　the　subject　of　the　great　painter　Fra　Filippo　Lippi；　let　me　first　remend　his　biography　by　the　painter　Vasari　for　its　rich　though　unauthenticated　details。
　Also；　there　is　the　bright　and　shiny　book　Filippo　Lippi；　published　by　Scala；　text　by　Gloria　Fossi；　which　is　for　sale　in　numerous　translations　in　Florence　and　other　places　in　Italy　as　well。　The　only　other　book　of　which　I　know　that　is　exclusively　devoted　to　Filippo　is　the　immense　Fra　Filippo　Lippi　by　Jeffrey　Ruda；　subtitled　Life　and　Work；　with　a　plete　Catalogue。　It　is　published　by　Phaidon　Press　in　England　and　distributed　in　America　by　Harry　N。　Abrams。
　The　most　enjoyable　books　for　the　general　reader　that　I　have　read　on　Florence　and　on　the　Medici　have　been　by　Christopher　Hibbert；　including　his　Florence：　The　Biography　of　a　City；　published　by　Norton；　and　The　House　of　Medici：　Its　Rise　and　Fall；　published　by　Morrow。
　There　is　also　The　Medici　of　Florence：　A　Family　Portrait；　by　Emma　Micheletti；　published　by　Becocci　Editore。　The　Medici　by　James　Cleugh；　published　originally　in　1975；　is　available　now　through　Barnes　&　Noble。
　Popular　books　on　Florence　and　Tuscany　…　travelers'　observations；　loving　memoirs　and　tributes　…　abound。　Primary　sources　in　translation　…　that　is；　letters　and　diaries　and　histories　written　during　the　Renaissance　in　Florence　…　are　everywhere　on　library　and　bookstore　shelves。
　In　trying　to　render　correctly　Vittorio's　quotations　from　Aquinas；　I　used　the　translation　of　the　Summa　Theologica　by　Fathers　of　the　English　Dominican　Province。　In　dealing　with　St。　Augustine；　I　have　used　Henry　Bettenson's　translation　of　The　City　of　God；　published　by　Penguin　Books。
　I　caution　readers　to　avoid　abridged　versions　of　Augustine's　works。　Augustine　lived　in　a　pagan　world　where　the　most　theologically　scrupulous　Christians　still　believed　in　the　demonic　existence　of　fallen　pagan　gods。　To　understand　Florence　and　her　fifteenth…century　romance　with　the　joys　and　freedoms　of　a　classical　heritage；　one　must　read　Augustine　and　Aquinas　in　their　full　context。
　For　those　who　would　read　more　about　the　marvelous　museum　of　San　Marco；　there　are　countless　works　on　Fra　Angelico；　the　monastery's　most　famous　painter；　which　include　descriptions　and　details　regarding　the　building；　and　there　are　many　books　available　on　the　architecture　of　Florence　entire。　I　owe　a　debt　of　gratitude　not　only　to　the　museum　of　San　Marco　for　having　so　beautifully　preserved　the　architectural　work　of　Michelozzo；　so　praised　in　this　novel；　but　for　the　publications　readily　available　in　the　shop　there　on　monastery's　architecture　and　art。
　In　closing；　let　me　add　this：　if　Vittorio　were　asked　to　name　a　recording　of　Renaissance　music　which　best　captures　the　mood　of　the　High　Mass　and　munion　which　he　witnessed　at　the　Court　of　the　Ruby　Grail；　it　would　inevitably　be　the　All　Souls'　Vespers；　requiem　music　from　Cordoba　Cathedral；　performed　by　the　Orchestra　of　the　Renaissance　led　by　Richard　Cheetham　…　though　I　must　confess；　this　music　is　described　as　circa　1570　…　some　years　after　Vittorio's　fearful　ordeal。　The　recording　is　available　on　the　Veritas　label；　through　Virgin　Classics　London　and　New　York。
　In　closing　these　notes；　allow　me　one　final　quote　from　St。　Augustine's　The　City　of　God：
　For　God　would　never　have　created　a　man；　let　alone　an　angel；　in　the　foreknowledge　of　his　future　evil　state；　if　he　had　not　known　at　the　same　time　how　he　would　put　such　creatures　to　good　use；　and　thus　enrich　the　course　of　the　world　history　by　the　kind　of　antithesis　which　gives　beauty　to　a　poem。
　I　personally　do　not　know　whether　or　not　Augustine　is　right。
　But　I　do　believe　this：　it　is　worthwhile　to　try　to　make　a　painting；　or　a　novel。。。　or　a　poem。
　
　Anne　Rice。