Chapel of Cevetta

Description

The small building stands along the ancient road that joined the Biellese region with the Dora Baltea valley and connected the village of Boure de gris, seat of the civil administration and parish of Fontainemore, to the villages d'en haut, i.e. the cantons of Farettaz, La Thea, Clapasson and Chuchal. The route is travelled by the procession from Fontainemore to the Marian sanctuary of Oropa every five years and was used by the inhabitants of the cantons to reach the village, by the herds for summer grazing in the mountain pastures and by the parish priest, to bring the sacraments to the faithful and to celebrate mass in the chapels of the hamlets.

The chapel probably dates back to the early 17th century. The dendrochronological analysis of some of the wooden elements of the woodwork established that the trees were felled in the winters of 1600/01 and

The main façade before the restoration work

Before the restoration work, a stone archway in the upper part of the main façade was visible from the degraded plasterwork, indicating the original open façade, which was later filled in and provided with doors and windows (Fig. 1). 1).

Le crépi sa resta

a vesti

facade

In fact, the model of the open chapel, with the front surmounted by a round arch, is widespread in the Lys valley.

Other buildings constructed in this manner were closed

Fig. 2 Restored fresco of the Virgin

Fresque de la Vierge

at a later date, such as the chapel of Saint. Roch in Perloz, dating from the first half of the 17th century, and the chapel of

Suzey in Pont-Saint-Martin, which predates this.

Of the frescoes that adorned the façade, one Virgin remains, in the central niche (Fig. 2). On the sides were Saint John on the right and a saint on the left. The decorations date back to the second half of the 19th century and were carried out by the painter Antonio Sogno from Camandona (Biella), as attested by the 1876 year painted on the façade.

The painter was very active in the lower Aosta Valley, working in Champorcher, in Pontboset (oratory at the entrance to the main town), and in Perloz (chapel of St Roch). In Fontainemore, the artist worked on the chapels of Farettaz, Niana and Theilly.

Fig. 3

Central vault: fresco with the four Ev

The interior space is completely covered by a layer of plaster

Central vault: les quatre évangélistes

The four Evs

are decorated and painted. On the vault, the four

Evangelists are depicted with their symbols (Fig. 3): St Matthew and the angel, St John and the eagle, St Luke and the ox, St Mark and the lion. The walls bear medallions in the centre: St. Peter (Fig. 4), on the west side,

recognisable by the key held in his hand, the Beheading of John the Baptist (Fig. 5), on the north side, identifiable by the presence of the silver plate and the long cross with cartouche, and finally a no longer identifiable saint on the side

Under the 19th century covering, fragments of older plaster emerge (Fig. 6), adorned with a filet decoration in brown and ochre tones executed with the fresco technique.

The counter façade bears the inscription PIET.RO A.1° ANGELINI F.D. LORENZO AVONDO DI VARALLO D.L.I. 3 GIU.°, which documents the patron and the Valsesian artist who worked on the pictorial cycle.