A walk in the Langhe and suddenly the Barolo Chapel!
What was your favorite game when you were a kid? Mine… the kaleidoscope!
I spent whole afternoons losing myself among all those geometric shapes, colorful and symmetrical, especially in summer when I finally had three months of relaxation and holidays.
As soon as I saw the lively church in the vineyards of Brunate, a locality in La Morra, I had the same feeling.
Its psychedelic colors reminded me of those idle afternoons.
They also reminded me of the beautiful memories of my last holiday in Spain.
Yes, when you walk there, it is like being near the Alhambra in Granada. There is a strange “Spanish scent” in the air that almost wants to wear a lovely red skirt, long to the feet, with which to twirl and pirouette barefoot around the church and then exclaim “Olè!”.
The view is spectacular, no doubt about it! Depending on the season, the picture of the entire hill changes its appearance. In the summer, the vineyards form a thick, leafy carpet, a green sea that shimmers under the church and highlights its colors. In winter, after a beautiful snowfall, it seems like admiring a precious stone housed inside a crystal case, set in the spotlight of the shy sunlight.
The Chapel of Our Lady of Graces, also known as the Chapel of Barolo, although never consecrated, was built in 1914 as a shelter from storms or hail for the farmers who worked in the surrounding vineyards. After many years, however, it had exhausted the function for which it was conceived, so that by the early ’60s, it appeared as a ruin in a state of abandonment.
In 1970, the Ceretto family, owners of the Ceretto winery, purchased it, initiating a project to restore it to its former glory.
In 199,9, two great artists were involved: David Tremlett, an English sculptor and installation artist, and Sol LeWitt, an American artist who died in 2007. They were given the task of providing a new interpretation and revaluation of the church in the landscape it was part of.
The two artists divided the tasks equally; Tremlett took care of the interior of the Chapel, while LeWitt took care of the exterior.
The church began to shine with a new light and had the opportunity to live a second life, one that was certainly more colorful than the previous one!
LeWitt used the three primary colors of red, blue, and yellow for the exterior of the church, as well as green, purple, and orange. They immediately gave a primordial connotation and a generous dose of energy and dynamism. Tremlett worked on the inside, helping with red, yellow, and blue to give meditation and intimacy.
Today, the Barolo Chapel is a meeting place for tourists and travelers, a destination for trekking itineraries and bicycle tours. It remains a reference point for those who find themselves in the Langhe, and it’s a building that must not be missed on the roadmap of those who pass through here!
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