Erminiae Ala Davinci

[Arpa]

I had not seen this edition of AremniaNow since on that same day I was landing at the Zvartnotz Airport.

See the "DaVinci Code" below while you enjoy the rest of the stories.

Go to archives and choose June 2, 2006

 

http://search.hp.netscape.com/hp/boomframe...menianow.com%2F

 

Armenia’s DaVinci Code: Leonardo in “Erminiae”?

By Aris Ghazinyan

ArmeniaNow reporter

While you’re planning your visit to Armenia, know that you share the idea of a genius. If his writings are to be taken literally – and not as an other-worldly fantasy of a fantastic mind – back when this resembled a kingdom and not just a country, Leonardo DaVinci made it his holiday destination.



 

 

Centuries ago while he was making a name for himself that would now be linked to the year’s most controversial movie and book, there was Armenian architecture that became a DaVinci influence.

Most exemplary, the temple of Musasir – the remains of which are found today on the north-western bank of Lake Urmia, Iran, between the city Revandus and the village Topusab, shows a Greek style, including a relief image of Assyrian kin Sargon II plundering a temple.

Some architecture experts say 9-8 century B.C. Armenian style seen in Musasir forecast a form that appeared in Hellenic style only by the middle of the 8th century B.C.

Leonardo was indeed interested in Armenia: Armenians in general were well known in Florence. First of all it is the picturesque hill with fine basilica towering above Florence where Leonardo liked to spend long hours, named San Miniato – the Latinized from San-Minias, after an Armenian who in 250 AD preached Christianity in Tuscany and accepted martyrdom. From young years Leonardo visited this basilica, looked at the mosaic pictures – especially the one that was situated under the altar and presented the image of the saint – it had an inscription in gold letters above it: “San Miniato rex Erminiae.”

One can judge in more detail about the Armenian Christian architecture that marked a turning point in the history of not only national, but also world Christian architecture. In the 4th-5th centuries basilica as a form of a cult structure was already departing to the past and it was in Armenia that the nascent dome architecture reached its heyday marking essentially fresh tendencies both for regional (Caucasian Albania, Georgia, Byzantium), and European architecture.

Austrian art critic Joseph Strzigowski writes in his study of the “Origin of Christian Church”:

“Italy was destined to acquaint Europe for the second time with the oriental-Aryan dome – the Renaissance was destined to recognize the essential advantage of a simple Armenian dome and for a long time to give it a place in European architecture. The Florentine cathedral built in Gothic style for decades remained without a dome – Brunelleschi managed to cover it only when he turned to Armenian style and technique.

“Viewing it from the West and from within, a person can think that it was built by an Armenian architect. When later the same Brunelleschi built a chapel in Pazzineri, he again applied the forms that are a feature of Armenian architecture. He assumed a square as a basis for placing the basis of the dome. His plan of the St. Mary d’Angeli Church was also drawn in the Armenian style.”

The genius of the Renaissance Leonardo Da Vinci, as an apologist of Armenian art (to which his famous “Armenian letters” testify), used many Armenian methods in his creative work. Getting acquainted with sketches brought by him from Armenia, one can make sure that he was nearly the first to have adopted Armenian form of dome constructions, although in the beginning he applied it not for churches, but for other structures.

Armenian writer Kostan Zarian (who lived some time in Italy) writes: “Leonardo’s main architectural idea was in using an octahedron which he added with a background corresponding to the Armenian square with four central dome-bearing supports and internal niches. Settling down in France at his declining years, during the construction of the villa Chambor he was also inspired by Armenian architectural forms . . .”

Also there is a question – did Leonardo really visit Armenia as he himself convinces us. A number of historians who studied this issue - Richter, MacCordy, Strzigowski, Clemente Fusaro are sure that he did, and consider his descriptions of Armenia to be quite documentary. In particular, Richter, who became the first researcher of these manuscripts, came to the conclusion that before arrival in Milan Leonardo had traveled through the East.

Leonardo inevitably should have preferred a trip to some remote country. He needed to get oblivion and freshen his soul. There is a question why, having decided to go to a distant area, he chose Armenia - Erminiae as he himself writes. In fact Armenia was not independent any more, her Cilician part went to Egypt. However, in all his scripts Leonardo speaks frequently about Armenia and does not mention Egypt a single time.

Other scholars, basically Italians, categorically deny this fact, moving the travel of Leonardo to the fantastic world created by the artist’s imagination.

However both are unanimous in their opinion that it was on the example of the history of the Armenian people that the greatest representative of the Renaissance decided to create a project of some religious-philosophical world outlook, like the Bible.

The great Leonardo was intrigued by the Armenian miniature – the crown of national fine arts of the Medieval epoch – as well as colors themselves. By his own admission, he brought from Armenia a certain paint of dark yellow or light brown color which earlier had not been used by anyone in Europe.

Interestingly, he also brought with him a handful of Armenian soil. At least, he says he did in his diaries . . .

Edited July 22, 2006 by Arpa

[Zartonk]

Thank a lot for posting this Arpa.

 

It is nice to remind the world every now and then of the sheer jewel of brilliance that is the culture of the Armenians.