Restoration begins on iconic Val d'Orcia chapel

Restoration has begun on the Cappella della Madonna di Vitaleta, a late-Renaissance chapel in the Val d'Orcia region of Tuscany, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The chapel, first documented in 1590, is owned by engineer Pasquale Forte, who founded the organic and biodynamic Podere Forte estate in the mid-1990s. The conservation work is supervised by the Belle Arti (Italian fine arts authority) and aims to preserve and enhance the sacred building in anticipation of a tourism revival. According to legend, the Virgin Mary appeared to a shepherdess at the site, leading to the installation of a sculpture by Andrea della Robbia in 1553. Due to a severe drought in 1779, the statue was moved to the church of Madonna di Vitaleta in San Quirico d'Orcia. The chapel suffered seismic damage in 1861 and was redesigned in 1884 by Sienese architect Giuseppe Partini. The current restoration, described as conservative, will address both exterior and interior, with completion estimated by May 2021. A new gourmet meeting place, Ristoro Vitaleta, is also being developed to promote local organic and biodynamic products from Podere Forte.