The Historical Wing, the New Wing and the Old Chapel

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Descrizione

The wings of the castle come together and meet in the Old Chapel, dedicated to St. John the Baptist. As was customary for the aristocracy in past ages, the Cacherano and Massel families ostentatiously displayed their faith, which perhaps explains why the chapel holds such a central place in the architectural layout of the building.

The wall and ceiling decorations date to the end of the eighteenth century, featuring trompe-l’oeil paintings of remarkable quality. The artist is unknown; however the decorative scheme very much resembles the work of the Galliari family of painters, who carried out commissions for the Savoy court and Church entities across the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The ovals painted to resemble marble reliefs are especially noteworthy. The original altarpiece is documented by photographs in the archive, but unfortunately it was stolen some time last century. Today, in its place is an antique mirror.

Restoration work on the chapel began in 2014. Initially, the decorations were found in a poor state of conservation, covered by a blanket of soot and damaged by rain water that had seeped in. The cleaning of the wall paintings brought to light the original colors and trompe-l’oeil motifs. The altar, door, and overdoor panels were also cleaned, restoring their original decorations to what can be considered today a perfect state of conservation.