Cappella della Casa Tommaso G. Walsh is a 20th century Fascist-era former school and convent chapel at Via Sangemini 53 in the Trionfale quarter.
History[]
This complex was built for the Pontficio Istituto Maestre Pie Filippini, run by the Maestre Pie Filippini. See Santa Lucia alle Botteghe Oscure. The architect was Renato Satacci, and the project was completed in 1935.
The sisterhood ran to run the large, three-winged four-storey complex as a school, but shut this in 2009 and turned it into a guest house and retirement home for the sisters. This was renamed after Thomas G. Walsh, apparently.
However, there have been extensive and long-drawn-out renovations for several years. Apparently the slowness of the progress is owning to cash-flow problems. The congregation runs sheltered accommodation for old ladies at Casa Volto Santo at Via Mario Fani 31 which is adjacent, but the Diocese does not list it as present at Via Sangemini 53 any more.
The chapel has been used as a public Mass centre by the local parish of San Francesco d'Assisi a Monte Mario in recent years. The Diocese still has it as such on its website (2019), but the actual status of the chapel seems unclear.
Appearance[]
The impressive complex is not easily visible from the street, as it is behind a high wall. It has three wings around a large square garden courtyard, the open end facing the street. There are four storeys, the first rendered in white and the others in pink brick. The roof is flat, within a low parapet. An interesting design feature is that the near ends of the side wings are rounded, forming apses, and a semi-circular apse is attached to the outer side of each wing.
A tall, thin six-storey tower is inserted into the front of the central wing, on the major axis of the complex. The chapel is attached to the back of the same wing, behind the tower.
The chapel is on a square plan, with a height reaching three storeys of the adjacent convent. It has the same white first storey as the latter, and this seems to be a crypt. The main edifice is in the same pink brick, with the same sort of flat roof within a low parapet.
There is a large semi-circular sanctuary apse, narrower than the square nave but the same height. Two smaller side apses flank the nave.
Each side apse is flanked by a pair of little round-headed windows. A pair of windows of the same width but much deeper, amounting to round-headed vertical window strips, are in the sides of the sanctuary apse.
Interestingly, an external side corridor runs round the right hand side of the chapel, above the crypt and cantilevered out. This seems to have been intended for the chaplain to reach the sanctuary.
Access and liturgy[]
Mass is at 8:00 on Sundays and Solemnities, according to the Diocesan website (2019).
External links[]
Former school's website (a fossil)