The Visitation
The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth is celebrated by the Catholic Church on May 31st. The meeting of the two children Jesus and John in their mothers’ wombs symbolizes the beginning of the fulfillment of the prophecies. Mary carries within herself the Light of the world, while John, with his leap, already recognizes the presence of the Messiah.
Mary’s song of praise is one of the most beautiful passages in the Bible (Luke 1:46-55). It begins:
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.”
The Magnificat is often recited or sung in Christian worship, particularly in Catholic and Anglican traditions.
Pontormo painted his famous Visitation between 1528 and 1530; today the painting can be visited in Carmignano.
The Baptistery of San Giovanni
Above the Gates of Paradise (the original gate is in the Opera del Duomo museum) is a sculptural group representing the Baptism of Jesus, created by Andrea Sansovino in 1502-1505 and completed by Vincenzo Danti in 1571. This scene is a central moment in the iconography of San Giovanni. At the center of the octagonal plan of the Baptistery there was once an octagonal basin where all Florentine citizens were baptized until modern times (including Dante).
