Santa Maria Assunta

My name is Luca. I’m on the staff of the Francesco Cavazza Institute for the Blind, and woodworking has been my passion for more than ten years. I’ve completed many projects, but I hadn’t had an opportunity to make something for the Institute, something that is almost 2000 years old, so when I was asked to create a tactile model of the Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta in Aquileia I accepted right away. The basilica’s first structure dates to immediately after the Edict of Milan (313 AD) and over the centuries has been rebuilt many times. The last work to make major changes to the structure, including the addition of the transept, dates to the first half of the 11^th century. Its architecture is a mix of Greco-Romanesque lines, an octagonal baptistry connected to the main structure by a long, partially porticoed walkway, and a majestic wood ceiling in the shape of a ship’s hull over the central nave.

But for visitors, the most interesting part of the basilica are the mosaics on the floor of the three naves: one of Europe’s most important early Christian monuments, they are rich in gnostic symbols and narrations from the sacred scriptures. My work was supervised by architect Fabio Fornasari, Director of the Tolomeo Museum, who pointed out the elements to be emphasized so that the haptic experience would be precise and effective. Since there are many such elements in the basilica, and having been instructed by the committee to highlight them in the model, the structure would have to open. This gave us a great deal to think about, because the more the moving parts, the more fragile the model, especially if small. But my previous studies of jewelry boxes gave me reason to hope.

I chose woods that could resist high levels of humidity and a bit of abuse, always seeking a delicate balance between dimension/thickness and feasibility. Everyone knows oak, a fine wood widely used to make furniture. There are several kinds: European oak is the most beautiful due to its straight and uniform grain. For this reason, and for its straw-yellow color, it was chosen for the bricks of the basilica. On the other hand, padauk, which comes from Africa, is a very dense exotic wood that is nevertheless easy to plane and saw. Its distinctive red color made it perfect for the roofs, which would open like a box over the central nave and stop on the buttresses on the sides of the church, which support its weight. There were many technical challenges: the apsidal conch required turning with a large overhang from the tool support; the hull vault brought the milling machine to its maximum extension, considerably beyond the manufacturer’s standards; the interlocking corners of the roofs required a review of algebra and a “creative” use of the bench saw. The model, delivered in September 2024 in the presence of the sponsor, GENERALI Bank, was presented by Professor Loretta Secchi, Head of the Anteros Museum, who guided a blind person in the tactile exploration of the basilica. I don’t wish to be presumptuous, and I’m sure that Professor Secchi’s ability, skill, and enthusiasm were essential, but a banker’s tears are certainly a wonderful compliment.

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