Plate 6: church steeple at center, with groups of people standing in a landscape below 1680 - 1747

Lodovico Mattioli’s etching presents a church steeple rising prominently above a village, set against a serene landscape. The steeple, with its cross, represents not only religious faith but also the aspiration towards the divine, a reaching for higher understanding. Consider the steeple as a symbolic echo across time. Ancient obelisks in Egypt, towering columns in Rome, and even the minarets of Islamic mosques share this visual language of verticality, each pointing to the heavens, serving as a bridge between the earthly and the celestial realms. The cross atop the steeple is a potent symbol, evolving from early Christian representations to its ubiquitous presence today. Its endurance speaks to our collective memory, a subconscious recognition of suffering, redemption, and hope. This seemingly simple composition engages us on a deeper level. It triggers a sense of longing, a yearning for something beyond our immediate existence, reminding us of the timeless human quest for meaning and connection to the divine.