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[read in Italian] 
The Church of the Dormitio Virginis (which is the Assumption of Mary, 1620, plate 43) in the Valley of Josaphat is described as «all underground» (1620, fol. Mm1r and Plans, p. 124) by Amico himself and it is immediately recognizable thanks to its monumental descending stairway welcoming pilgrims or visitors at the entrance. The friar describes its parts very precisely, such as the Greek, the Ethiopian and the Armenian altars.
| [click sulle immagini per ingrandirle / click on images to enlarge] |
The plate here shown is described by the author himself as follows: «Which body I call transparent because it is not opaque like all the previous bodies, which are all shaded […]. This on account of the visionary lines shows the effect which the perspective makes, which effect is to show the free space; and filled with any structure, and especially through a variety of colours, it will show. All the sections with all their particular members» (1620, fol. Oo1r and Plans, p. 128). By giving up lights and shades and tracing only the lines of the building, the friar underlines its structure and its sections. The other occasions in which he adopts this style are all related to other underground constructions (for instance, the crypt of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem). However, the extreme sobriety of the illustrations does not damage their beauty.