italy | duomo

+

THE FOOTBRIDGE OF MEDITATION PAST
This exceptional place, located between Lake Bolsano and the town of San Lorenzo, was once very lively, the inhabitants of the old town came there to listen to mass, to meditate. Since then, San Lorenzo Nuovo has moved away a few kilometers north and the chapel has been aban-doned to the wild grass and bad weather.

PRESENT
The Chapel : This romantic ruin in poor condition requires major restoration in order to remove the vegetation that has interfered in the joints and on the stones; restructure the walls before they collapse despite their thickness. Indeed it is generally the roof that plays this role of maintenance and solidity of the building. The roof, symbol of protection, covering of life. This is a building sym-bol. As protection against the spirits, it is the place of multiple decorations and expressions of cultures from the 4 corners of the globe.
Despite the partly visible cover composed of a wooden frame and tile, it appears that the dome was the form of roof most likely to have been used to cover this type of building.

FUTURE
bringing back life around and in the Chapel !
Important that the project makes a link with the territory, like a break on the journey of the pilgrim allowing him to enjoy the hilly landscape on one side and the great Bolsena lake on the other. For this it seemed essential to us that as the dome of Bruneleschi allows to have a view of all Naples, the dome of San Giovanni del lago allows to have a view of the lake and the hilly lands-cape. The question then arose of access to this dome that does not distort the sacred church and does not encroach on the interior surface dedicated to meditation. The goal being to make the landscape accessible to all pilgrims and people who live nearby, the idea of a gentle footbridge allowing them to climb slowly towards the heavens was then imposed. This ramp makes it possible to accommodate the program necessary for the pilgrimage such as accomodations, an exhibition hall telling the history of the site, of the old San Lorenzo visible from the dome and of the new one further up the hill; a congress hall to schedule indoor events; an external auditorium space to enjoy the site outdoors and organize performances there, lectures, meetings, concerts or open air cinema.
In a desire to restore an attractiveness to this secondary road of the via Francigena, a desire for visibility has imposed itself. How to attract pilgrims but also give an attraction for the surrounding inhabitants to this abandoned place.
The pilgrim takes a contemplative pause in his journey.
The tourist will visit the chapel, but also can be reached by the footbridge, to contemplate the landscape, to understand this beautiful territory in a different way, up to the accessible gallery that encircle the outside of the Chapel’s dome.
The inhabitants come to discover their landscape, visitors using the footbridge to this gallery will be treated to panoramic views of Bolsena lake territory.

+

+