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Cappella del Casale di San Nicola is a farmstead chapel, allegedly 18th century, located on the Via del Casale di San Nicola in the La Storta zone.

The chapel is in the territory of the diocese of Porto Santa Rufina.

It might be deconsecrated.

Location[]

The locality of San Nicola is still rural, although being infiltrated by messy suburbia towards the north-east where it abuts La Storta and Olgiata. "Google Maps" calls it Santa Nicola, which is an error -it is named after St Nicholas.

There is confusion about where Casale di San Nicola is, with a farmstead on the Vicolo del Casale di San Nicola also claiming the name. Apparently there were more than one in previous centuries, also.

The Casale with the chapel is up a short driveway at the southern end of the Via del Casale di San Nicola, just north of its junction with the Via Savigliano.

A further possible confusion is with the chapel of the Villa Galanti further up the lane towards La Storta -see Cappella di Villa Galanti.

History[]

Info.roma claims that the present farmstead contains a former chapel of the 16th century, as well as an add-on chapel edifice of the 18th century.

The country estate of the Tenuta di San Nicola was bought by Cardinal Ottavio Acquaviva the Elder in 1608, and a small villa or Casino built. This survives as the Casale di Acquaviva at the end of the Via del Casale di Acquaviva, a dead-end country lane paralleling the Via del Casale di San Nicola.

Presumably the Acquaviva family remodelled the old Casale in the 18th century, adding the external chapel.

The present farmstead seems to have no public profile or function at all, and the chapel seems to be in an indifferent state of repair.

Appearance[]

The farmstead is invisible from the road, hiding behind mature trees.

It consists of a congeries of distinct edifices, joined together with three conjoint blocks forming a straight line but each with its own roof. This main range is aligned almost to north. The chapel is attached to the north-western end of the northernmost block. Oddly, it is not aligned perpendicular to the major axis of the range but is at a slight angle.

This is a simple edifice, under a gabled and tiled roof. The frontage has a large doorway, flanked by a pair of round-headed windows rather low down. A small round window is over the entrance. This is surrounded and topped by a screen wall hiding the actual roof gable and protruding above it, and which has a a shallow-angled false gable of its own.

A simple campanile or bell-cote protrudes from the left hand pitch of the roof, having a gabled top, a round-headed aperture. It still contains a single bell.

External links[]

Info.roma web-page 1)

Info.roma web-page 2)

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