- A voyage to discover the painters of the 14th-century School of Rimini. These painters were students of Giotto, the greatest and most important Italian painter in the middle ages, who is even mentioned by Dante in the Divine Comedy.
- "Our voyage began one day in late November. We were on our way back to Rimini, the town where we live, after a short trip to the inland part of Romagna: we went to visit the cemetery where my grandfather is buried. I don't know why, but along the way I decided to stop at Talamello, a small town that appeared in the distance, as pale as a ghost. Now I remember: my grandfather, who loved paintings and was originally from that part of the countryside, had talked to me about a crucifix conserved in the town's church. He said it was by a student of Giotto, the greatest and most important Italian painter in the middle ages, who is even mentioned by Dante in the Divine Comedy. Until then I hadn't been very interested in paintings, least of all ones from the 14th century: the ones he often used to show me in his books all looked the same to me, and I couldn't find anything interesting about them. As soon as I walked into the church I felt an icy gust of wind blow across my face... It was so silent, and no one was around... I could see the crucifix, far from me... but it was dark, there wasn't enough light. Suddenly, outside, the wind chased away a cloud and a ray of sun shone in through the stained glass window, making its way slowly towards the painting. Finally, I could see the face of Jesus, and I realised that he had a tired expression, full of sadness. But it only lasted a minute, and then everything got dark again. That image deeply moved me. Maybe it was the impression made by the way it appeared, mysterious and far-off, only illuminated by that fleeting ray of light... that moment of unexpected beauty sparked a strange curiosity inside me, a desire to learn more about it. Who was the painter who painted that crucifix? A student of Giotto, alright, but who? That same evening Elisa and I decided to go speak with a friend, Alessandro Giovanardi, who is an art history professor. He would have helped us learn some more about it..."
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By what name was In Defence of Sacred Images (2018) officially released in Canada in English?
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