Madonna di Vitaleta chapel, Renaissance church in San Quirico d'Orcia, Italy.
The Madonna di Vitaleta chapel is a Renaissance structure of white stone standing alone on a hilltop, flanked by two rows of cypress trees stretching down the slope. The small rectangular building has a simple facade with a bell tower at the front and overlooks the rolling Val d'Orcia landscape.
The chapel is probably of late-Renaissance origin and is first recorded in a document from 1590. Damaged by an earthquake, it was redesigned inside and out by architect Giuseppe Partini in 1884, drawing on 16th-century models. A restoration funded by its private owner from March 2021 returned it to its 1884 appearance, ending on 18 July 2021 with the altar blessed by Cardinal Lojudice, archbishop of Siena.
The chapel is privately owned and belongs to the Archdiocese of Siena-Colle di Val d'Elsa-Montalcino. The statue of the Madonna attributed to Andrea della Robbia, said to have been bought in a Florence workshop in 1553, was kept here before it was moved in 1870 to the church of the Madonna di Vitaleta in San Quirico d'Orcia's historic centre.
The chapel is accessible by car via a provincial road from San Quirico d'Orcia, with a parking area nearby for visitors. From the parking spot, a short walk up the hillside leads to the building, though the path can be muddy or uneven depending on the weather.
The facade is clad in Rapolano stone, and a small rose window opens above the architraved portal. The statue of the Madonna attributed to Andrea della Robbia, said to have been bought in 1553 in a Florentine workshop, was kept here until 1870, when it was moved to the church of the Madonna di Vitaleta in San Quirico d'Orcia's historic centre.
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