Oh my God!

The end of the middle-ages marked the beginning of the Renaissance and a new era of scientific, cultural and religious enlightenment. A major factor was the commissioning of monumental structures and theological artwork to serve as the media of the time. No peasant, living in a mud hut, could doubt the existence of an all powerful deity when faced with the opulence and architectural excesses of the times. Even the most jaded of modern observers is struck breathless upon entering St. Peter's Basilica in Rome or the Cathedral at Chartres.  

The only words one can utter upon first seeing such exuberant affluence are: "Oh, my God!" and that was the idea. The gold gilding, the soaring marble columns, the massive domes and the heavenly light filtered through the acres of Stained Glass are truly awesome.  Only God could have amassed such wealth. 

"Oh, my God", were the first words out of my mouth when I first entered the lobby of the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. Dale Chihuly's spectacular free-form "Fiori Di Como" is a heavenly sight to rival that of any Renaissance visage.

What do the Churches of the Renaissance have to do with the pleasure palaces of Vegas? To my mind; they are both religious Icons. 

Both represent the driving force behind organized religion of their time, the acquisition of  money. 

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