Sixty years on - a symbol of peace stands
the test of time
The history of the Italian Chapel - Part 2

Domenico Chiocchetti recruited a squad of other craftsmen – plasterers, blacksmiths and electricians – from among the other prisoners and set to work.

Concrete was also used by the POWs to build a statue of St George and the Dragon (right) outside the Italian Chapel (Picture Orkney Library Archives)

The corrugated iron was hidden by plasterboard, an altar constructed and a huge mural of the Madonna and Child painted. Ornate iron work created a sanctuary screen.

The interior of the chapel was painted to resemble brickwork and then – outside – an impressive facade with a belfry was built to disguise the Nissen hut.

The most impressive part of the chapel interior is the beautiful altarpiece, painted by Chiocchetti, depicting the Madonna and Child surrounded by cherubs. Around her is a scroll which reads “Regina pacis ora pro nobis” (Queen of Peace pray for us).

Jesus holds in his hand an olive branch, while the cherub on the bottom right is sheathing a sword, both symbols of peace. The cherub on the left holds a shield bearing the heraldic badge of Moena, Chiocchetti’s home town.

The main picture is based on the painting “Madonna of the Olives” by Nicolo Barabina (1832-1891). This picture was on a Christmas card that Chiocchetti received from his mother, which he always carried in his wallet.

The front facade of the chapel is made of concrete, concealing its humble origins.

“With the help of Sergeant Pennisi who came across from the other camp, we planned the front,” said Signor Chiocchetti. “Bruttapasta worked on it and we erected an impressive facade to hide the ugly outline of the hut. It even had gothic pinnacles cast in clay and finished in cement. The head of Christ was the work of Pennisi.

“My commandant wanted to take a photograph of the outside at once, but there was a gap in the facade. There was no bell. I didn’t lose heart but cut one out of cardboard and fixed it in place. Later we found a real bell from a ship and the outside was completed with a new cement roof.”

When the Italians left Orkney, Chiocchetti remained behind to finish the chapel. The last thing to be completed was the stoop for the holy water. Once it was finished he left Orkney to rejoin his comrades, leaving behind him a small piece of Italy on a barren Orkney island. He spent his last ten months of captivity at Kew before returning home to his family in February 1946, six years and eight months after leaving them.

Before he left, a special service was held with a recording of the bells and choir of St Peter’s, Rome, playing from the belfry.

The war ended and the camp was dismantled. The chapel might have fallen into ruins and been lost forever, but for the concern of a small group of dedicated Orcadians.

In 1958, a chapel preservation committee was formed. A series of repairs was carried out, financed by the contributions of visitors.

Signor Chiocchetti was traced living in the village of Moena and, in 1960, with the help of the BBC who had broadcast programmes about the chapel in Italy, he returned to Orkney and helped to restore some of the paintwork which his genius had created back in the 1940s.

On Sunday, April 10, 1960, a service of rededication in the chapel was attended by 200 Orcadians of all denominations. Signor Chiocchetti was the first to receive Holy Communion.

When he returned to Italy the following week, he left a moving message to Orcadians.

In the mid-1990s, the first significant restoration in 30 years was carried out to ensure the Italian Chapel remains open for decades to come.

Under the supervision of local artist Mr Gary Gibson, work was undertaken which should now last well into the 21st century.

The minimum of paintwork was carried out to keep it as original as possible but the depredations of time meant that many of the original nails and plane areas had to be treated. Panelling – mainly around the windows – had been spoiled by water so they were strengthened by additional wood struts.

It was discovered that the main iron structures and wooden strapping were sound and although modern materials were used during the repair work, care was taken to ensure that the nearest equivalents to the original fabrics were used.

Domenico Chiocchetti died in Moena on May 7, 1999. His wife and family returned to the little chapel that was so dear to him for a memorial service on June 9, 1999, conducted by Bishop Mario Conti. His daughter Letizia remembered what the chapel meant to her father;

“We grew up with this little story. When we grew up we realised it must have been very important for him. Even though he was a prisoner he left a piece of his heart in Orkney.”

The 60th anniversary exhibition opens on Monday, March 18, at the Stromness Museum and will run throughout the year. Museum opening times are 10 am to 5 pm seven days a week from April to September. From October to March the museum’s opening times are Monday to Saturday, from 11 am until 3.30 pm.