Church of San Quirico
Edited by:
Massimo Martini
Access
The chapel of San Quirico is located in the hamlet of Trovinasse, in the municipality of Settimo Vittone, which can be reached from Ivrea by taking the state road northwards as far as the centre of Settimo Vittone. From the town's only traffic light, turn left towards the hamlet; the road climbs steeply, crosses the hamlet of Cornaley and reaches the Trovinasse plateau after about 14 km. For those coming from the motorway, the recommended exit is Quincinetto, taking the road towards Settimo Vittone.
At Trovinasse, at an altitude of around 1,374m, there is a parking area near the start of the trails. The chapel can be reached in a few minutes on foot from the car park, along the path that runs along the edge of the plateau. The footpath from the parking area does not present any technical difficulties.
.Introduction
The chapel of San Quirico is a Catholic place of worship located in the mountain hamlet of Trovinasse, in the municipality of Settimo Vittone, Canavese, in the metropolitan city of Turin. Located at about 1,374 metres above sea level, the chapel stands on the plateau that closes the municipality's territory at altitude, at the upper limit of the forest vegetation and near the mountain pastures that climb towards the Colma di Mombarone. The building is dedicated to St Quirico, a 4th-century martyr, who is venerated together with his mother St Giulitta in the tradition of the Catholic Church.
The construction was started in 1778 on the initiative of the local community and was carried out by local craftsmen; work continued over the following decades until its completion documented by the engraving of the date 1813 on the main portal architrave. The chapel is subsidiary to the parish church of Sant'Andrea Apostolo di Settimo Vittone and is the main devotional reference for the seasonal community of the hamlet. The Trovinasse plateau is one of the access points to the hiking trails that climb up towards Mombarone and the passes connecting Canavese with Valchiusella and Biellese.
.Description
The chapel of San Quirico in Trovinasse was erected from 1778 onwards at the behest of the village community, employing local workers. The construction work lasted beyond the turn of the century: an extension to the original building was carried out in the very early years of the 19th century, and the date 1813 engraved on the lintel of the main portal testifies to the official completion of the building site. In 1971, a wooden mensa with elements of a Eucharistic subject was added to the interior; further ordinary maintenance work was carried out during the second half of the 20th century.
The building has a single hall plan, built in load-bearing masonry of local stone bound with lime mortar. The façade is characterised by a large porch - a recurring element in the mountain religious architecture of Canavese and upper Piedmont - supported by four stone columns. This porticoed space, open on the front, fulfilled the function of offering shelter to worshippers coming from the mountain pastures and wayfarers passing through, especially in the colder seasons. The roof is pitched with a covering of "lose", slabs of local stone typical of traditional building in this pre-alpine area. A bell tower is leaning against the body of the presbytery, on the rear side of the building.
The interior has a floor plan with two semicircular side chapels and an apsidal presbytery, bordered by a stone balustrade. Unlike the rustic plastered exterior, the interior surfaces are entirely decorated with a cycle of polychrome geometric and phytomorphic motifs. The floor is made of slabs of local stone. The chapel is set in the open landscape of the Trovinasse plateau, from which the wooded slopes rising towards the ridges of Mombarone can be seen. The path from the car park near the chapel is one of the access routes to the Colma di Mombarone (2,371m), through the Garitt and Mombarone mountain pastures.
San Quirico, to whom the chapel is dedicated, is a 4th-century martyr. According to hagiographic tradition, he was killed while still a child - the Passio describes him as three years old - together with his mother Julitta during Diocletian's persecution, presumably in Tarsus of Cilicia, around the year 304. Their liturgical feast is celebrated on 16 June in the Roman calendar. The cult of Quirico and Giulitta is attested in a wide geographic area, from Asia Minor to Gaul, and is present with continuity in Alpine and pre-alpine Piedmont, where numerous rural chapels and cult buildings bear the dedication to the martyred child.
.Information
General Data
Typology: chapel
Dedication: St Quirico martyr
Year of foundation: 1778
Year of completion: 1813 (date engraved on portal lintel)
Height: 1,374m
Commune: Settimo Vittone
Valley: Canavese
Region: Piedmont
Diocese: Diocese of Ivrea
Visiting hours: check at the parish of Settimo Vittone
Contact: