Illusion, gesture and movement animate a church interior, giving it life, creating a harmonious universe; heaven on earth full of hope for those who enter. In the 17th and 18th centuries there would have been few things in daily life able to amaze an ordinary man. Coming to church certainly would have been the peak of his visual and emotional experience; a place where he felt embraced and welcomed; a place in which he could confirm his belief and where he could expect comfort. Even the smallest church with its high altar and theatrical appearance was able to astound simple men. Marble, gold, harmony, virtue, God's presence, and beauty – to attract believers by all those means – that was the mission of the church.