St George at the Italian Chapel
There’s time for us to visit the Italian Chapel on Orkney’s tiny Lamb Holm island. It’s connected to other islands and the Mainland of Orkney by a road built along the Churchill barriers, constructed by Italian prisoners of war during WWII.
Outside it stands a statue made by one of those prisoners of war, Domenico Chiocchetti. Domenico was a brilliant artist who could use only the materials he had to hand to create it; barbed wire and concrete.
It depicts St George and the Dragon. St George is the patron saint of Ethiopia, Georgia, Catalonia, Lithuania, Palestine, Portugal, Russia and many cities. He’s best known in the UK as patron saint of England. He’s also patron saint of plague and syphilis.
I find the world full of literal people; people who find literal meaning in everything they see. To them, St George really did kill a dragon, and if dragons don’t exist, then St George couldn’t have existed. I think we all need more metaphors in our lives. The dragon was really a metaphor for evil. By the end of WWII we had contributed to the defeat of the greatest evil of the 20th Century.
Domenico’s spirit is still here, allowing us to appreciate that victory in the very best way he could; through his art.
More on Orkney's Italian Chapel
Domenico I had no expectations when I first visited the Italian Chapel in Orkney. I'd not seen any photographs larger than… read more
Peace to you Orkney's Italian Chapel is a jewel, a relic, a prayer and a tiny beacon of hope. It's also a spectacular… read more
An Italian Prisoner of War, beachcombing, 75 years ago Orkney had a substantial Italian Prisoner of War population in the Second World War. They were specially commandeered for building… read more
The Italian Chapel has twins Orkney's Italian Chapel was once part of a large complex of Nissen huts with tracks and gardens. For many years… read more
Restoration of The Italian Chapel Antonella Papa spent a month last year as restorer of Orkney's Italian Chapel Antonella says: "The Italian Chapel now is… read more
Published in The Orcadian – “Italy visit for chapel committee members” I was delighted to see my photographs used in The Orcadian's article about the Italian Chapel Preservation Committee's trip to… read more
Round the back of The Italian Chapel I love the view around the back of the Italian Chapel. read more
Fragile and immortal The Italian Chapel on Orkney's tiny island of Lamb Holm is so fragile. These are not bricks; this is not… read more
The words in his pocket Oh let men, overcoming individual and national egoisms, recognise themselves as brothers, may they refrain from discord, may they love… read more