Thursday, January 7, 2010

Geronimo!

OK, if you are a US male of my vintage, you know that "Geronimo!" is what US Army parachuteers exclaimed as they jumped out from the plane in WWII. According to Hollywood. Possibly not this Geronimo. Little did I know, as a nine-year-old, that St. Jerome would come to have a very different meaning--the scholar, the contemplative saint--later in my life. Belem's St. Geronimo monastery and church are two of the major sites of Lisbon. Except for the windows, neither was seriously damaged in the 1755 earthquake.
San Geronimo monastery and church, Belem







San Geronimo cloisters










Incredible stone work throughout











For example...











Tile in the refectory (the parable of the big britches)







St. J himself, with pet cat










Refectory





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Arcade in the cloisters











All through Portugal the churches were featuring folk art
nativity scenes--this, at St. Geronimo--was my favorite
















































































OK, if you are a US male of my vintage, you know that "Geronimo!" is what US Army parachuteers exclaimed as they jumped out from the plane in WWII. According to Hollywood. Possibly not this Geronimo. Little did I know, as a nine-year-old, that St. Jerome would come to have a very different meaning--the scholar, the contemplative saint--later in my life. Belem's St. Geronimo monastery and church are two of the major sites of Lisbon. Except for the windows, neither was seriously damaged in the 1755 earthquake.

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