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The Prisoners of War Shrine, Lamb Holm Chalpel___1017.jpg.sm

The Prisoners of War Shrine, Lamb Holm Chalpel___1017.jpg.sm

The Italian Chapel is a highly ornate Catholic chapel on Lamb Holm in the Orkney Islands. It was built during World War II by Italian prisoners of war, who were...
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The Italian Chapel is a highly ornate Catholic chapel on Lamb Holm in the Orkney Islands. It was built during World War II by Italian prisoners of war, who were once housed on the previously uninhabited island while they constructed the Churchill Barriers to the east of Scapa Flow.

The chapel was constructed from limited materials by the prisoners. Two Nissen huts were joined end-to-end. The corrugated interior was then covered with plasterboard and the altar rail were constructed from concrete left over from work on the barriers. Most of the interior decoration was done by Domenico Chiocchetti, a prisoner from Moena. He painted the sanctuary at the end of the chapel and fellow-prisoners decorated the entire interior. Almost three dimensional paintings simulate a carved marble and tile.
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