The former church of Santa Chiara in via Savigliano in Cuneo reopened yesterday, Monday 17 June, after eight years and a major restoration project. The baroque building, owned by the Municipality of Cuneo, was in a poor state of conservation: the eighteenth-century stuccos and architectural elements were particularly compromised. The restoration intervention involved all the frescoes on the walls, on the vault and on the dome. The cleaning of the frescoed parts was carried out in depth, with particular attention to the sections that showed strong detachments and the glazing of all the decorated and stucco parts.
The works were carried out by the Lithos company of Venice for a total cost of 570,000 euros, 80% financed by the “Culture Fund” of the Ministry of Culture and the remaining part by the Municipality of Cuneo thanks to an administration surplus.
The municipal offices are currently working, according to the provisions of the Superintendence, on the relocation of two precious altarpieces, now kept in the museum deposits of the Cuneo civic collections. These are the Immaculate Conception of Beaumont (1738-1741) once located in the chapel of the same name inside the church and San Tiburzio and Santa Cecilia, patroness of music, by an unknown author (mid-18th century), originally present above the right altar.
In August 2022, a “Special Public Private Partnership Agreement” was signed between the Municipality and the “Il Melarancio” Company: for the next 25 years the well-known Cuneo Theater Association will deal with all aspects relating to the management, promotion and the valorisation of the former church and Palazzo Soverini, a building from the first half of the 15th century located in the Piazzetta del Teatro at number 1, near the Toselli Theatre, already home to it since 2010.
From next December the former church of Santa Chiara will therefore become a cultural hub for the area. The technical setups, created with respect for the building, include the installation of a mobile stage and a raised floor. A small food area will be created in the former sacristy, while access to the internal courtyard will be reopened.
The Mayor was present at today’s ceremony Patrizia Manasserothe Deputy Mayor Luca Evening (Public Works) and the Councilor Cristina Clerico (Culture).
“More beautiful than ever – is the mayor’s comment. – Today we returned one of our most precious jewels to the community. The baroque building owned by the municipality has undergone a major restoration project, thus being able to return to its extraordinary original appearance. The spaces will be managed by the Il Melarancio Company which will create a multifunctional cultural hub open to all. A big thank you to all the technicians who worked on this project”.
The former church will remain open today, Tuesday 18 June, to allow those who wish to enter and admire the restored frescoes.
