Italian Chapel - Orkney

Ffion T.

Remarkable beautiful and poignant. Happy to pay the entry fee to ensure the upkeep of this historical church. The ladies at the entry shop were very friendly and offered advise and info. Nice gift shop too.
The story of this church is nicely conveyed on display boards outside and additional informative personal tales on displayed inside. The artistry and skill is remarkable given the circumstances of the build. No spoilers just add it to the must see Orkney list. Don’t miss the St George statue in the car park too.
A local fishing gilly advised this visit to us and I’m very grateful top tip is to check tide times, weather and the Orkney council website for any barrier road closures if visiting during stormy weather.
Cruise ship and Coach tours visit here so perhaps time for after lunch when quieter. Paved ramp access and no steps inside.

Kyle J.

The chapel isn't large and would say 30 minutes would suffice for a thorough visit. Artwork and painting both internally and externally is fantastic. Sufficient information provided about the chapels history, staff at the entrance were pleasant.

Rebecca J.

What a beautiful church to visit, full of intresting history.

Once inside the church something magical happens to you. You will need to visit to experience this. Staff are great and really helpful.

Had a couple of swims up and down the barrier here which is one of churchils barriers.

Vlad S.

The place looks nice, but what you should really focus on is the history of the place. There's an entrance fee but it's worth it. There's enough parking nearby. Make sure to learn about the Churchill Barriers as well.

Anthony H.

A wonderful experience to visit on a quiet, no cruise ship crowd, windy summers day. The whitecaps in the nearby Scapa Floe and the waves crashing onto the Churchill Barriers that the same Italian POW’s who built the chapel were brought here to construct accentuated the silence and peace once inside.
The interior, incredibly two connected Nissen Huts, is beautiful. All the detail is painted onto a flat surface, only the ironwork, wooden carved Stations of the Cross and concrete font and face of Jesus at the entrance are true 3D images.
A walk around the outside reveals the original structure and it is eerie seeing the brick and concrete footprints of the other buildings of what was once a POW camp alongside this beautiful chapel.
The St George and Dragon monument at the entrance was also created by the same artist who did the vast majority of the chapel painting is also impressive.
We thoroughly enjoyed our visit.

Dave M.

I think the story is well known that the chapel was built by Italian POWs during WWII. They were brought to Orkney to create the Churchill Barriers, and built the chapel in their spare time from scavenged and donated resources. The interior is painted to look like relief work, plaster mouldings, and tiles. The effect is very convincing. The alter font and a statues of St george and the Dragon are made out of burnished concrete. Windows have been painted to resemble stained glass. The overall effect is stunning, and moving.

Kathryn E.

Beautiful chapel. So lovely that this important place has been preserved and looked after. A poignant reminder of the past.

Kate D.

Wonderful place to visit. The decoration is all painted on paper and how it has been preserved, is anyone’s guess. Well worth the €4 entrance fee