The frescoes in the church of Saint George

Video structure and layout choices:

The video consists of three parts:

1. An introduction regarding the church and its frescoes: who realised them? For what purpose? Which are the main subjects of these works of art? Are they well-preserved?
2. The analysis of three artworks: the paintings situated in the apse; the asymmetrical tryptic placed between the south and the west walls; the Deposition.
3. A  brief conclusion about the cultural importance of Saint George

Contents:

• The church, surrounded by fields, appears to be an isolated and quiet place. While the exterior is quite simple, the inner spaces of Saint George are characterised by a series of beautiful frescoes, realised in different historical periods. They can be considered one of the most important pictorial complexes in the surroundings of Bergamo. The series of artworks placed in the central nave show different episodes of Jesus life. Some of the most damaged frescoes had to be transferred onto panels in order to be restored. The figure of Saint George was widespread in the past: his deeds are narrated in the frescoes well. 
• The frescoes situated in the apse are the most ancient: unfortunately they deteriorated and are now almost unreadable. They represent a Pantocrator Christ with four evangelists. The asymmetrical tryptic, placed between the south and the west walls, depicts three different scenes. On the left we can see Saint George in the act of killing the dragon in front of the princess.  Right next to him, there’s Mary holding the Children’s hand. Finally we can recognise the figure of Saint Alexander, dressed as a knight. The fifteenth-century deposition, of uncertain attribution, has a dramatic pathos that is underlined by the crowd of characters and by their facial expressions.
• These are only some of the most relevant examples of the beautiful works treasured in the small church of Saint George, flagship of the medieval artistic heritage near the city of Bergamo.

Comments:

• This video gives a general introduction to the frescoes in the church of Saint George. It shows just a few detailed examples: its purpose is to make tourists curious about actually visiting the place!
• Using the English language could help foreigners decide whether they want to visit Saint George or not, during a hypothetical trip to Italy.
• The background music is simple and lively, in order to make the contents more interesting and enjoyable.
• It was necessary to ask for copyright permission in order to use some of the images.
• The keywords are highlighted to make the concepts clear.
• It was decided to use the same font and transitions throughout the video, in attempt to get a neat final result.
• Notice that it is necessary to contact Fondazione Lemine to visit the church.  (info@fondazionelemine.eu)