Italian Chapel on Orkney

This chapel was built by Italian prisoners of war captured during the North African campaign during WWII and finished after the end of the war. It was truly a labor of love and a work of art. There is a great article in the link provided of how the prisoners used various scrap materials to construct the chapel. They had asked to have a place to worship, so they were given two Nissen huts put end to end.  I do hope you will take time to read some more about this as you enjoy the pictures below. Inside the chapel, it looks like fine Italian tile. Actually, it is painted concrete and plasterboard made to look like tile. The Italian artist, Domenico Chiocchetti with his helpers painted the concrete and constructed the statue of St. George, built of barbed wire and cement, that sits in front of the chapel. Behind the altar Chiocchetti painted the Madonna and Child from a picture he had carried with him throughout the war..Very remarkable. It has been refurbished and kept up and is still used today as a chapel and tourist attraction. Some of the prisoners remained after the end of the war to complete the chapel and have returned over the years to help with the upkeep.

History of the Italian Chapel link
More about the Italian Chapel link

Iron grillwork 

This is all concrete. The look of Italian tile is painted onto the concrete. Truly amazing!

   
      Concrete painted to look like tile!