THE "SAN SEBASTIANO" CHAPEL FRESCOES

The restoration
The "San Sebastiano" chapel, having been absorbed by the construction of the palace, had been almost forgotten and became a damp basement.
A new acces from the inner court had been opened and the old acces had been closed by the construction of new walls, thus destroying part of the frescoes. Also humidity had a part in the loss of plaster from the walls and ceilings.
In 1992 Aimaro Oreglia d'Isola, today's owner of the estate, restored the chapel bringing it to the original shape, opening the old entrance through the garden and permitting a correct air flow, thus stopping the degradation and undercovering part of the frescoes. Even if the recovery has been only partial, this important example of the XVth century painting has come back to life.

Description of the frescoes
The chapel has a rectangular plan and an ogive vault.
The frescoes' cycle is dedicated to Christ's Passion; the single scenes depict, on the left: 1) the Last Supper, 2) The Capture, 3) The prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, 4) The Maundy;

5) Jesus in front of Caifa, 6) The scourging of Jesus, 7) Pilatus washes his hands, 8) Jesus walks up to the Calvary, 9) Crucifiction, 10) Deposition from the cross;

On the front wall, against which might have been the altar, in the center: San Sebastiano with two men on the sides, both without halos (one man reading a book and an armed youngster); on the right, San Bernardino from Siena and Santa Chiara. Over these: in the center, coat of arms unfortunately unreadable; on the right, the remains of what probably was the Deposition of Jesus in the Sepulchre.

Above the armed youngster is an ineresting inscription: "B Berna(rdus)". It could be related to Beato Bernardo del Baden, patron saint of the town of Moncalieri. Upon his death in this town in 1458 he has immediately been venerated by the Duchess Jolanda because he was thought to have made some miracles. Just before her death in 1478, the Duchess Jolanda furthered his beatification.
Saint Mary's collegiate church in Moncalieri still holds a small painting which has some analogies to our fresco. It shows the Saint in arms and it has been painted in the same period.