From Tourist to Pilgrim - Ep. 11: Saint Teresa in Ecstasy

Bernini’s sculpture of the Ecstasy of Saint Teresa in the Church of Our Lady of Victory is one of the best examples of how divergent the lens of a tourist can be from that of a pilgrim. While tourists look upon the sculptures and snicker, interpreting the image as a depiction of earthly passion, Bernini's pilgrims would be shocked by this modern reaction. As Galileo had brought the telescope to Rome to allow the human eye to see hidden celestial bodies, so Bernini became a kind of telescope to ...