SARUM U3A

The newly appointed Chairman, Neil Russell, welcomed members to the April Coffee Morning at St Francis Church Hall. 

The speaker for this month, Robert Baggs, was introduced by Ena Baldock.  After a life spent working around the world as an engineer, he settled down to obtaining a degree in the History of Art through the OU.  He gave us a most interesting illustrated talk on the patronage given to the church by men of great wealth in the 15th century in what is now Italy.  He focused, in particular, on Francesco Sassetti who made a huge fortune as General Manager of the Medici Bank in Geneva. 

Whilst there, he built a church but on returning to his native Florence, he commissioned Domenica Ghirlanaio, the greatest fresco artist of the time and perhaps of all time, to decorate the chapel, which bears the Sassetti name, in the Santa Trinata church in Florence, between 1480-1495.  The six frescos, still in near perfect condition, feature six stories from the life of St Francis of Assisi, after whom Francesco was named.  The Sassetti family, wife and ten children, as well as members of the Medici family, appear in various guises in the frescos.  After 550 years one could say that this patron achieved his ambition to be remembered for ever.

There is a superb web site that shows images of the frescos HERE

The vote of thanks was given by Phyll Babb.  Mr Baggs was giving his Speaker's fee, along with further donations from members, to the Victoria Climbie School Memorial Fund which he helped establish in the Ivory Coast and which runs entirely on public donations.