CONVENT

A place where you can pray or – as Benedictines tought – pray and work (‘Ora et labora’). Convents often are beautiful buildings, with frescoes and paintings, gardens and libraries. In a convent is possible to talk about Kafka, also: Giuditta Podestà (1921-2005), who was a niece of Carlo Emilio Gadda, created an association in a convent: Santa Maria La Vite in Olginate, North Italy. The convent became a place of culture, today used for screenings of experimental cinema. One of these screenings was about mercenary love (‘Capodanno al Samara’, by Michelangelo Buffa). In a severe convent is possibile to talk about prostitution, as Jesus said: ‘I tell you the truth, tax collectors and prostitutes will go ahead of you into the kingdom of God!’ (Matthew, 21:31).

Dario Agazzi for SAFT