Fragile and immortal
The Italian Chapel on Orkney’s tiny island of Lamb Holm is so fragile. These are not bricks; this is not plaster; those …
Making a mark
Coriolano ‘Gino’ Caprara and Roberto Pendini were Italian prisoners of war in Orkney. They helped build the Churchill Barriers which created causeways …
900,000 tons of concrete and rock
Roberto Pendini was held prisoner on the Orkney island of Lamb Holm during the Second World War and worked as part of …
The Miracle of Camp 34
I’m spending time with Coriolano ‘Gino’ Caparara. He’s now 96 and as smart and as funny as he ever was. He talks about his experiences as a prisoner of war held by the British in Orkney as if they were yesterday when “I learned English 70 years ago,” he says “And I never get chance use it.”
Thank you Domenico for reducing me to tears
Imagine being born in the Italian Alps in a tiny town in the mountains. Imagine being an artist. Imagine a fascist government …
Will
Will is my oldest friend, and by that I don’t mean that I’ve known him the longest; but that is also true. …
Light Aircraft
I didn’t realise until today that the best way to see the Orkney Islands is by light aircraft. Lamb Holm is a …
First Nation
Orkney is alive with archaeology, with neolithic and bronze age sites scattered all around the Islands. It’s a fitting place for a …
First glimpse of the Italian Chapel
The most visited attraction on Orkney is free to visit, was constructed from scrap and Nissen huts and built entirely by Italian …