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The Chapel of the Holy Shroud ( it, Cappella della Sacra Sindone) is a
Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including ...
-style Roman Catholic
chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common type ...
in
Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...
in
northern Italy Northern Italy ( it, Italia settentrionale, it, Nord Italia, label=none, it, Alta Italia, label=none or just it, Nord, label=none) is a geographical and cultural region in the northern part of Italy. It consists of eight administrative region ...
, constructed to house the
Shroud of Turin The Shroud of Turin ( it, Sindone di Torino), also known as the Holy Shroud ( it, Sacra Sindone, links=no or ), is a length of linen cloth bearing the negative image of a man. Some describe the image as depicting Jesus of Nazareth and bel ...
(''Sindone di Torino''), a religious
relic In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...
believed to be the burial shroud of
Jesus of Nazareth Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religiou ...
. It is located adjacent the
Turin Cathedral la, Ecclesia Sancti Johannis Baptista , native_name = Duomo di Torino , native_name_lang = Italian , image = DuomoTorino.jpg , caption = The Cathedral in 2019 , imagelink = , pushpin map = Italy Turin , pushpin mapsize = , map caption = ...
and connected to the
Royal Palace of Turin The Royal Palace of Turin ( it, Palazzo Reale di Torino) is a historic palace of the House of Savoy in the city of Turin in Northern Italy. It was originally built in the 16th century and was later modernized by Christine Marie of France (1606–1 ...
. The chapel was designed by architect-priest and mathematician
Guarino Guarini Camillo Guarino Guarini (17 January 1624 – 6 March 1683) was an Italian architect of the Piedmontese Baroque, active in Turin as well as Sicily, France, and Portugal. He was a Theatine priest, mathematician, and writer.. Biography Guarini w ...
and built at the end of the 17th century (1668–1694), during the reign of Charles Emmanuel II, Duke of Savoy, and is considered one of the masterpieces of
Baroque architecture Baroque architecture is a highly decorative and theatrical style which appeared in Italy in the early 17th century and gradually spread across Europe. It was originally introduced by the Catholic Church, particularly by the Jesuits, as a means ...
. Heavily damaged in a fire in 1997, it underwent a complex 21 year restoration project, and reopened in 2018. The chapel an intricate and self-supporting wooden and marble
dome A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...
.


History

Duke Carlo Emanuele I of Savoy commissioned the chapel between 1610 and 1611 to Ascanio Vitozzi and Carlo di Castellamonte to preserve the Shroud that the
house of Savoy The House of Savoy ( it, Casa Savoia) was a royal dynasty that was established in 1003 in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, the family grew in power from ruling a small Alpine county north-west of Italy to absolute rule of ...
had held for several centuries. The initial plan called for an ellipsoidal chapel set between the
cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the ''cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominations ...
and the Palazzo Ducale (former bishop's palace and current
Royal Palace This is a list of royal palaces, sorted by continent. Africa * Abdin Palace, Cairo * Al-Gawhara Palace, Cairo * Koubbeh Palace, Cairo * Tahra Palace, Cairo * Menelik Palace * Jubilee Palace * Guenete Leul Palace * Imperial Palace- ...
). The work was interrupted in 1624 when only the foundations had been laid. The project did not progress during the reign of Vittorio Amedeo I or during the regency of Maria Cristina. The project was revived by Charles Emmanuel II in 1657. It was Cardinal Maurizio di Savoia who pressed for its completion, uneasy with the Shroud being kept on a temporary wooden altar. He was in fact mindful of the great fire of 1532 in Chambery which had damaged the Shroud. The projects were entrusted to Carlo di Castellamonte's son, the architect Amedeo di Castellamonte, and to the Swiss sculptor Bernardino Quadri, who were responsible for the design of a building with a square base set between the ducal palace and the apse of the Cathedral . Furthermore, the two opted to elevate the chapel 6-7 meters with respect to the floor of the cathedral. This meant that the inside of the chapel was visible from inside the cathedral. The faithful could access the chapel through two large staircases placed at the end of each of the aisles, while the royals could access it through a portal on the first floor of the palace. The ellipsoidal foundations were therefore demolished and replaced, and for nine years the project proceeded apace. The construction was interrupted when the entablature of the first level was reached, when structural problems were noticed in the structure. Unable to solve the problem, Bernardino Quadri was removed from the project in 1666.


Guarini's project

The project was entrusted to the priest-architect
Guarino Guarini Camillo Guarino Guarini (17 January 1624 – 6 March 1683) was an Italian architect of the Piedmontese Baroque, active in Turin as well as Sicily, France, and Portugal. He was a Theatine priest, mathematician, and writer.. Biography Guarini w ...
who, after leaving Paris in 1666, stopped in Turin in 1667 and took over the work on the chapel in 1668. He adopted the round-shaped project previously developed by Bernardino Quadri, which had been completed up to the first level. Guarini modified the previously completed structure, reinforcing the walls which had caused problems for their thinness and structural capabilities. He decorated the Corinthian-inspired pilasters with images and symbols linked to the
Passion of Jesus In Christianity, the Passion (from the Latin verb ''patior, passus sum''; "to suffer, bear, endure", from which also "patience, patient", etc.) is the short final period in the life of Jesus Christ. Depending on one's views, the "Passion" m ...
(including olive branches, crowns of thorns, passion flower and the Titulus crucis). Furthermore, he reshaped the right staircase. He reduced the
spandrels A spandrel is a roughly triangular space, usually found in pairs, between the top of an arch and a rectangular frame; between the tops of two adjacent arches or one of the four spaces between a circle within a square. They are frequently fill ...
from four to three, creating a triangle with three vestibules at the vertices (one at the entrance from the palace and the other two at the staircases towards the cathedral). As for the portion of the chapel not yet undertaken, Guarini completely revolutionized the project. In particular, Guarini redesigned the dome, in order to lighten it and give it an upward thrust. The original project included a hemispherical dome supported by piers. Guarini instead placed ornamental
pediments Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds. A pedime ...
and shell-shaped
volutes A volute is a spiral, scroll-like ornament that forms the basis of the Ionic order, found in the capital of the Ionic column. It was later incorporated into Corinthian order and Composite column capitals. Four are normally to be found on an Ion ...
. Above this, he placed large weight-bearing arches which redistribute the weight. Inside each of the three
lunettes A lunette (French ''lunette'', "little moon") is a half-moon shaped architectural space, variously filled with sculpture, painted, glazed, filled with recessed masonry, or void. A lunette may also be segmental, and the arch may be an arc taken ...
and three spandrels formed by the three arches he placed large circular windows. These arches, in addition to concealing the
buttresses A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall. Buttresses are fairly common on more ancient buildings, as a means of providing support to act against the lateral (si ...
, also made it possible to tighten the dimensions of the
drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a ...
and the base of the dome. Above the arches, on the next level, he placed a ring walkway surmounted by six large arched windows alternating with six
tabernacle According to the Hebrew Bible, the tabernacle ( he, מִשְׁכַּן, mīškān, residence, dwelling place), also known as the Tent of the Congregation ( he, link=no, אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, ’ōhel mō‘ēḏ, also Tent of Meeting, etc.), ...
-like niches. To build the top of the dome, he created a series of six levels, each made up of six small arches arranged in a hexagonal plan. The size of each level shrinks with height and the hexagon plan of each floor is slanted in respect to the one below, so that the arches place their bases on the top of the arches below. The dome ends with a
roof lantern A roof lantern is a daylighting architectural element. Architectural lanterns are part of a larger roof and provide natural light into the space or room below. In contemporary use it is an architectural skylight structure. A lantern roof wil ...
formed by a twelve-pointed star surrounded by twelve ovoid windows. Inside the star, a small circular cap is decorated with the dove of the
Holy Spirit In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is the divine force, quality, and influence of God over the Universe or over his creatures. In Nicene Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is the third person of the Trinity. In Islam, the Holy Spirit acts as ...
from which luminous rays emerge. The dome ends with a
pinnacle A pinnacle is an architectural element originally forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners of towers and in many other situations. The pinnacle looks like a small spire. It was mainly ...
decorated with windows (real at the base and fake at the top) with a golden globe surmounted by a cross on top. In 1680, Giacomo Cortella frescoed the dome. The dome was completed on 27 October 1679 and on 15 May 1680 Guarini himself celebrated the inaugural mass on a temporary wooden altar. The structure was usable, even if the interiors were not yet completed. Guarini died on March 6, 1683, leaving the floors, one of the stairways and the altar unfinished.


Completion

Donato Rossetti was appointed as Guarini's successor for the project in 1685, but died soon after in 1686. He was replaced by Antonio Bertola, who finished the project. At the center of the circular plan of the dome, Bertola placed a raised altar six steps from the floor. The floor was inlaid with concentric circles of stars within Greek crosses, arranged in a way to accentuate the centrality of the altar. The altar was of black marble and decorated with gilded wood or metal ornaments and sculptures. The shroud case was positioned in the central part, placed inside a glass case protected by a golden grate. Above the
baluster A baluster is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its c ...
of the altar were placed eight
putti A putto (; plural putti ) is a figure in a work of art depicted as a chubby male child, usually naked and sometimes winged. Originally limited to profane passions in symbolism,Dempsey, Charles. ''Inventing the Renaissance Putto''. University o ...
in prayer or bearing the nails of the passion, while four angels with the symbols of the passion were placed on the sides of the reliquary, all made by the sculptors Cesare Neurone and Francesco Borello between 1692 and 1694. In 1694 the Shroud was finally placed there. In 1825 King Carlo Felice commissioned the royal architect Carlo Randoni to build the ''Grande Chilassone'', a huge stained glass window in walnut and iron to insulate the chapel from the cold and noise of the cathedral. In the first half of the 19th century the chapel was decorated with groups of statues depicting famous members of the House of Savoy commissioned by King
Charles Albert Charles Albert (; 2 October 1798 – 28 July 1849) was the King of Sardinia from 27 April 1831 until 23 March 1849. His name is bound up with the first Italian constitution, the Albertine Statute, and with the First Italian War of Independenc ...
. The statue of
Amadeus VIII Amadeus VIII (4 September 1383 – 7 January 1451), nicknamed the Peaceful, was Count of Savoy from 1391 to 1416 and Duke of Savoy from 1416 to 1440. He was the son of Amadeus VII, Count of Savoy and Bonne of Berry. He was a claimant to the papa ...
(first
duke of Savoy The titles of count, then of duke of Savoy are titles of nobility attached to the historical territory of Savoy. Since its creation, in the 11th century, the county was held by the House of Savoy. The County of Savoy was elevated to a duchy at ...
and
antipope An antipope ( la, antipapa) is a person who makes a significant and substantial attempt to occupy the position of Bishop of Rome and leader of the Catholic Church in opposition to the legitimately elected pope. At times between the 3rd and mi ...
) was sculpted by Benedetto Cacciatori, that of duke Emmanuel Philibert (leader known as "Iron Head", who moved the capital from Chambery to Turin) by
Pompeo Marchesi Pompeo Marchesi (; 7 August 1783, in Saltrio, near Milan – 6 February 1858, in Milan) was a Lombard sculptor of the neoclassical school. Biography He first studied at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts in Milan. In 1804 he won a scholarship ...
, that of Duke Charles Emmanuel II (who had begun the construction of the chapel) by
Innocenzo Fraccaroli Innocenzo Fraccaroli (1805, in Castelrotto di Valpolicella ( Verona) – 1882, in Milan) was an Italian sculptor. A student at the Venice Academy of Fine Arts, Fraccaroli was the winner of the Brera Academy’s prize for sculpture in 1829. Thi ...
, and that of Prince Thomas Francis, Prince of Carignano (progenitor of the
House of Savoy-Carignano The House of Savoy-Carignano ( it, Savoia-Carignano; french: Savoie-Carignan) originated as a cadet branch of the House of Savoy. It was founded by Thomas Francis of Savoy, Prince of Carignano (1596–1656), an Italian military commander who was t ...
line, to which
Charles Albert Charles Albert (; 2 October 1798 – 28 July 1849) was the King of Sardinia from 27 April 1831 until 23 March 1849. His name is bound up with the first Italian constitution, the Albertine Statute, and with the First Italian War of Independenc ...
belonged) by
Giuseppe Gaggini ''The subject of this article is different to sculptor Giuseppe Gagini of Palermo, Sicily, who died in 1610'' Giuseppe Gaggini (Genoa, April 25, 1791 – May 1, 1867) was an Italian sculptor. Biography He gained a stipend from the Ligurian gover ...
. In the 19th century, two angels in white marble were also added to the ends of the baluster.


1997 fire

The Chapel was closed to the public on May 4, 1990, when a fragment of marble from an internal cornice collapsed to the floor. The fall was caused by an infiltration of water. Three years later the restoration work began.With the conservative restoration site almost completed, a short circuit in the night between 11 and 12 April 1997 caused a fire that heavily damaged the building. The flames caused subsidence and collapse, and the marbles were also heavily damaged, also due to the thermal shock caused by the icy water from the extinguishing jets. The Shroud itself risked being destroyed but was saved from the flames by the firefighters, who broke through the glass case containing the wooden and silver box that kept the cloth. To avoid the collapse of the entire structure, hoops with metal chains were placed around it.


Restoration and recent history

The debris was immediately and the damage ascertained, from which it emerged that 80% of the stone surfaces needed to be restored. At the beginning of the 2000s the architectural restoration began, carried out in a conservative and most faithful way possible. The necessary marble was found in 2007 from the original quarries used in the 17th century in
Frabosa Soprana Frabosa Soprana is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about south of Turin and about southeast of Cuneo. Frabosa Soprana borders the following municipalities: Frabosa Sottana, Magliano ...
, but once that source was exhausted it was also extracted from other locations in the Orobic and
Apuan Alps The Apuan Alps ( it, Alpi Apuane) are a mountain range in northern Tuscany, Italy. They are included between the valleys of the Serchio and Magra rivers, and, to the northwest, the Garfagnana and Lunigiana, with a total length of approximate ...
. The elements that could not be recovered were made from scratch with the help of 3D modeling. The dome was disassembled and reassembled entirely and suspended on temporary scaffolding to remove damaged material. The roofs and lead coverings, the metal hoops, the windows, the Grande Chilassone, and the sunburst with the Holy Spirit in the dome were completely redone. Cortella's cupola paintings were renovated. The restoration and reconstruction, resulting among the winners of the European Heritage Awards in 2019, were completed after 28 years and the chapel was reopened to the city and visitors on 27 September 2018, thus becoming part of the Royal Museums tour itinerary of Turin. The restoration was one of the most complicated ever carried out, and cost over 30 million Euros, of which 28 by the
Ministry of Culture Ministry of Culture may refer to: *Ministry of Tourism, Cultural Affairs, Youth and Sports (Albania) * Ministry of Culture (Algeria) *Ministry of Culture (Argentina) *Minister for the Arts (Australia) *Ministry of Culture (Azerbaijan) * Ministry of ...
, 2.7 by the Compagnia di San Paolo and the remainder with other contributions from
La Stampa ''La Stampa'' (meaning ''The Press'' in English) is an Italian daily newspaper published in Turin, Italy. It is distributed in Italy and other European nations. It is one of the oldest newspapers in Italy. History and profile The paper was fou ...
, Iren and of others. In 2021 the partial restoration of the altar was also completed, thus completing the recovery of the monument. The restoration succeeded in recovering the surfaces and the marbles and structures of the altar, together with the cherubs and the statues of two angels (who survived the fire because they were temporarily in the sacristy at the time of the fire), the embossed silver tabernacle, the lamps and the pyramid candlesticks . The other statues, together with the large summit star in gilded wood, have not been recovered and are lost (an image of the altar before the fire with the lost parts can b
found here
.


See also

*
History of early modern period domes Domes built in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries relied primarily on empirical techniques and oral traditions rather than the architectural treatises of the time, but the study of dome structures changed radically due to developments in mathemati ...


Gallery

File:Cappella della Sindone (dicembre 2018).jpg, External view (with the cathedral dome in the forefront and the Mole Antonelliana in the background) File:Chapel of Chapel of the Holy Shroud Altar Under Construction.jpg, The altar before the restoration File:Guarini sindone.jpg, Plan by Guarino Guarini File:Torino - Palazzo Reale 0489.JPG, View from the Royal Palace courtyard File:Torino Palazzo Reale Interno Cappella della Sindone Statua.jpg, Statue of Thomas Francis, Prince of Carignano


Bibliography

* Varriano, J., Italian baroque and rococo architecture, New York, 1986 * Meek, H.A., Guarino Guarini and his architecture, Yale University Press, New Haven and London, 1988 * Wittkower, R., Studies in the italian baroque, BAS Printers Limited, Great Britain, 1975.


References

Roman Catholic churches in Turin Shroud of Turin 17th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Burial sites of the House of Valois Roman Catholic chapels in Italy Guarino Guarini buildings Church buildings with domes {{piedmont-geo-stub