The Italian Chapel

This chapel is undeniably a symbol of hope during times of adversity. “The Miracle of Camp 60” was built by Italian prisoners of war after their arrival to the Orkney islands in January 1942. The prisoners were put to work alongside locals building the Churchill barriers. The barriers were instructed to increase defences following the disaster of Scapa flow where the HMS Royal Oak was sunk by a German U boat as it managed to sneak through the scuttled ships and launch torpedoes.

Over 1300 Italian prisoners of war were put to work on the barriers. 700 from the Burray camp, 600 from camp 60, and a further 700 local Orcadians.

There was a slight delay in the build of these barriers as the prisoners refused to work declaring that they were working on “works of warlike nature”. However, Churchill managed to successfully argue that the construction was simply causeways connecting islands for civil use, which is how they are utilised today. Orkney weather conditions and the monumental task didn’t make for favourable working conditions. The barriers took over 4 years to complete and spanned for a total of 2.6km. formally opening on 12th of May 1945.

The Italian prisoners of war were granted permission to turn two Nissan huts into a place of worship in 1943. The huts were joined together end to end and a small group of POW lead by Domenico Chiocchetti got to work in creating their masterpiece.

The interior is lined with plasterboard and the alter is mostly made from concrete and barbed wire, something which they had readily available to them.

Domenico painted the Madonna and Child behind the alter. The image was based on a prayer card given to him by his mother when he left for war. The full interior was hand painted by Chiocchetti to resemble brick and marble.

A metal worker made a candelabra, rood screen and gate. Plus, the addition of a small metal heart on the floor of the chapel, which is rumoured to be a symbol of him leaving his heart on Orkney after falling in love with a local lady before returning to his wife in Italy after the war ended.

Chiocchetti stayed behind after the war ended to complete the chapel and gifted it to the people of Orkney.
In 1960 Chiocchetti returned to Orkney to complete further restoration work and again with his wife in 1964.

The Italian Chapel is a place that you must see it to believe it.