Prologue

The trip is now a distant memory. Ten months have passed, and I've moved from Tuscan exploration to the dogged discipline of writing the book you're now holding. The images have all been captured, the book is almost finished, and I'm just now starting to piece together what this entire experience has meant to me.

I loved spending time with the Italians. I saw reminders of my family everywhere I went, whether it was Aunt Minnie, Uncle Frank, or even my dad. When you're a kid, you wonder about where your family comes from; it was always frustrating that none of my relatives seemed to know. Grandpa came over in 1933, and I've always wondered if he left because of the political unrest and fascist climate during that time. I'll probably never understand the specific motivations that caused a man to move his family halfway around the world. Perhaps it was a dramatic situation, perhaps not. Although I can't say I've gotten any specific answers, I at least have a sense for the country from which they came.

The people of Siena clung to their identity fiercely and passionately. I used to feel the same way in clinging to my identity as an artist. When I was younger, being an artist was the most important thing in my life, perhaps the only thing. But now I think I'm more concerned with my identity as a person, being true to my beliefs and my family. Don't get me wrongthe art is still important, and it's an undeniable part of me. It's just not anything I feel that I have to prove anymore. It's as if I've made the transition from aspiration to inspiration. I'm curious, and exploring, but I'm also content where I am.

As I sat there in Santa Croce, thinking about how the aspirations of men had shifted the focus away from God, I noticed a shaft of bright sunlight streaming through a rose window, high on the wall of the right nave. It cast a rainbow-colored highlight that stretched across the stonework, spontaneously illuminating the interior. As I took it in, I never once asked myself how long it took to create it, how it ranked with similar sunbeams, and what page it was on in the guidebook. I just sat there on that tiny wooden bench, taking it in. And it was perfect.