Audiobooks by Paola Stirati

Basilica of Ascension of the Blessed Virgin. Torcello. Venice. Italy

"The audioguide tells the story, describes the architecture and reports interesting facts about the cathedral. The island of Torcello, populated since Roman times, sheltered the population from the mainland, during the Gothic invasion period. During the VI century, Byzantium reconquered much of the Italian territory, and then began the period of maximum splendor of the lagoon of Venice and of the island of Torcello. The basilica of Santa Maria Assunta was built in 639, by order of the archbishop of Ravenna Isacio. In the years 864-867, the building was expanded and in the years 1008-1047 it was partially rebuilt, at the request of Bishop Orso Orseolo, son of Doge Pietro. It was probably then that the church was dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta. The fulcro of the cathedral are the magnificent mosaics, executed with great sophistication, by local and Byzantine workers (probably from Constantinople). The entire interior wall of the facade is occupied by the marvelous mosaic of the Last Judgment, realized between the XI and XII century, by artists from the Venetian-Byzantine school. This masterpiece represents the last coming of the Lord, when, as the evangelist Matthew describes, he will return to glory, to judge men according to their actions. You can examine the 3D model of the church and observe its interior, through the MuByz App. The audioguide has been made by professionals in the field of history and art."

Paola Stirati (Author), Karolina Starin (Narrator)

Audiobook

Basilica of San Marco. Venice. Italy

"If you would like to hear about the extremely rich history of Venice, and you find it hard to imagine the influence, Venice underwent and absorbed for centuries, you can just listen to our audioguide, about the magnificent Saint Mark's Basilica - the symbol of the people and culture. The audioguide describes the unique history of Saint Mark's Basilica, made evident by the architecture and decorations, with elements of different styles. You can examine the 3D model of the church and observe its interior through the MuByz App. The audioguide has been made by professionals in the field of history and art."

Paola Stirati (Author), Karolina Starin (Narrator)

Audiobook

Cathedral. Cefalu. Italy

"The audioguide tells the story, describes the architecture and presents interesting facts about the cathedral of Cefalù, recognized as a UNESCO heritage site. From the first mention of Cefalù we know it was an ancient seaside village, located on the west coast of Sicily. The place name derives from the Greek word thatfalè, which means head, as the fortress, on whose slopes the city rises, has this form. The protagonists of the city's history were the Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Byzantines and Normans. Thanks to the Normans of the Altavilla dynasty, present here since the 12th century, and the Byzantine masters, the most representative cathedral in the region, dedicated to the Savior, was built here. The imposing dimensions of the cathedral give us an idea of Ruggero's great political project. The fulcrum of the whole Duomo are the marvelous mosaics, that absolutely have the best preservation status in Sicily. They cover an area of 650 square meters; The different styles confirm that they were realized in different moments. Ruggero wanted the presence of Byzantine masters, called by Constantinople for the decoration of the apse and the cross, while those of the walls would be made after the death of the sovereign, finally accomplished in 1170. During the construction of the cathedral, burial material was used, a very common practice in the Middle Ages, partly due to the low cost of these materials and partly because of their symbolic significance: this loan was considered as a kind of continuity between past, present and future. You can examine the 3D model of the church and observe its interior through the MuByz App. The audioguide has been made by professionals in the field of history and art."

Paola Stirati (Author), Karolina Starin (Narrator)

Audiobook

Cathedral. Monreale. Italy

"The audioguide tells the story, describes the architecture and reports interesting facts about Monreale Cathedral. The church was founded by the Norman King William II, the Good, and was dedicated to the Madonna. According to legend, in 1174, while hunting, the sovereign saw a woman pointing to the place where her father's treasures were hidden. Following their discovery, William decided to build a church, in honor of the Virgin, which, together with the archbishop's palace and the monastery, were completed in less than ten years, probably by architects and Byzantine theologians. The mosaic iconography of the cathedral is the most attractive element: thousands of square mosaics, an artistic representation of the history of salvation, cover the surfaces of the walls, including the apses, and adorn each corner, even the most hidden, of the church. For the extension of mosaics, Monreale is second only to the Hagia Sophia cathedral, in Istanbul, but those in Italy have a better conservation status. Con ogni probabilità furono eseguiti nell'arco di pochi anni, tra il 1183-1189, da squadre di mosaicisti bizantini e siciliani. Alcuni ipotizzano anche la presenza di maestranze veneziane. The effect is extraordinarily beautiful: the golden background illuminates the space and enhances the sense of the sacredness and prepares one for the encounter with Christ Pantocrator, depicted in the central apse. In total, there are 130 mosaics in the cathedral. The didactic and catechetical intention is evident: to offer the faithful, who, in the medieval age, were mostly illiterate, a bible that narrates through images. The audioguide has been made by professionals in the field of history and art."

Paola Stirati (Author), Karolina Starin (Narrator)

Audiobook

Church of Santa Maria Dell'Ammiraglio. Martorana. Palermo. Italy

"The audio guide tells the story, describes the architecture and reports interesting facts about the church. In 1072, Norman Dukes conquered Palermo and, in Sicily, began an era in which the Byzantine culture, the knowledge of the Arabs and the expressiveness of the Normans fused, creating an extraordinary unity. The symbol of this synthesis is the church of Santa Maria dell'Amiraglio, better known as "la Martorana". It was made according to the will of the Syrian Admiral of King Ruggero II, George of Antioch. The word "admiral", the name given to the church, refers to the profession of its founder. In 1221, the church was patronized by the pope, who guaranteed the church's right of Greek worship. In 1282, during the Sicilian vespers' war, it was in the church building, which became the seat of the Pretoria Court in Palermo, where the Sicilian Parliament offered the crown to King Peter of Aragon. While in 1443 King Alfonso of Aragon assigned the church to the nearby Benedictine monastery, it assumed its second name, "Martorana". Of great value are the mosaics of religious, historical and political significance. The audioguide has been made by professionals in the field of history and art."

Paola Stirati (Author), Karolina Starin (Narrator)

Audiobook

Saint John at the Latin Gate, Rome. Italy

"The audioguide tells the story, describes the architecture and reports interesting facts about the basilica. Saint John the Evangelist preached in this place. Tradition tells us that John, the apostle of Jesus, was placed in a cauldron of boiling oil, but came out miraculously uninjured and safe. The basilica was built on the remains of an ancient temple, dedicated to the cult of Diana, during the period of the pontificate of Gelasio I, roughly between 492 and 496. Some masonry fragments found near the apse would seem to confirm the birth of the basilica in the fifth century. To confirm this theory there are some tiles of the old roof, bearing the mark of King Theodoric the Great (V-VI). The real gem of this church are the medieval frescoes, discovered during the various restoration works, of the last century. The paintings are considered important because they represent the transition from Byzantine influence to that of Pietro Cavallini, one of the most notable exponents of the XIII century Roman school. You can examine the 3D model of the church and observe its interior, through the MuByz App. The audioguide has been made by professionals in the field of history and art."

Paola Stirati (Author), Karolina Starin (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Cattolica Church. Stilo. Italy

"Consigned to history, thanks to the famous defeat Emperor Ottone II's troops suffered, at the hands of the Arabs, in 982, the city of Stilo, whose name derives from the Greek "stulos" (column), has its origins in Caulonia, an ancient Greek colony, founded in the 8th century. B.C. and destroyed in 389 AD by Dionisio I, the old tyrant of Syracuse. For a short time, between the 8th and the 10th century, this part of Calabria welcomed a true community of hermits, who had emigrated from the East. This community became the protagonist of unprecedented spiritual renewal and was so closely integrated with the local population that it became a center for spreading agricultural technologies: thanks to this, the growing of mulberry stems, vines and olives spread; as did the study of religious, literary and scientific disciplines. In other words, the guests of Byzantium, who in the West were often called "Basilians" in honor of St. Basil the Great, lived according to this monastic rule and made the Stilaro valley a real cradle of Byzantine culture, in Calabria. The audioguide tells the story, describes the architecture and reports interesting facts about the Cattolica di Stilo, a unique historic place, in the city. It is believed its design and construction took place prior to 1071, when the Normans, guided by the brothers Roberto Guiscardo and King Ruggero I of Sicily, won these places. Under the first arch of Cattolica there is an extraordinary representation of the Virgin that dates back to the period of the building of the church and was made by a Byzantine artist who had probably fled from the Orient or had been invited by the monks. The audioguide has been made by professionals in the field of history and art."

Paola Stirati (Author), Karolina Starin (Narrator)

Audiobook