Restoration of Pacengo’s Historic Chapel Revives Ancient Religious Traditions

After almost three months of intense restoration work, the chapel in Pacengo, commonly called “Stafaleto,” has been restored to its former glory, albeit not completely.

Description and history of the chapel

“To the north of the village, at the beginning of strada Fonda, where it branches off from the east Gardesana road, in an area owned by the municipality, there is a chapel — states Giovanni Perantoni, in his small booklet dedicated to the chapels of our ancestors, published in 1976 by La Gardesana — commonly called Stafaleto.

It is built on an elevated platform about one meter above the road level, enclosed by a small wall — continues Perantoni — and was erected — according to local lore — around the middle of the 18th century. It was likely constructed to grant the Pacengo community a special protection or blessing.”

The structure features three niches: in the two side ones, we find images of San Rocco, who protects against epidemics and diseases, and San Giovanni Battista, to whom the local parish church is dedicated.

In the central niche — again quoting Perantoni — facing south, there was originally a wooden effigy of Jesus Christ on the cross; in 1962, the then parish priest, don Giuseppe Carminati, realizing that the previous image had been eroded over time, replaced it with a crucifix. However, this was stolen in 1968 by unidentified individuals, who believed it to be an antique piece.

Recovery and restoration

This, however, was contradicted — continues Perantoni — by don Carminati, who explained that the crucifix was a low-value copy of artistic craftsmanship.

Subsequently, a painting depicting the Sacred Heart of Jesus was placed in that niche.

Today, in the year 2000— a Holy Year— the local government, prompted by the community of Pacengo, decided to value the historical and cultural significance of the chapel, as well as to revive the ancient religious traditions of the area and its inhabitants, investing funds and commissioning experts for a complete restoration of the monument.

The process was challenging, but yielded notable results.

Firstly, the frescoes in the three niches were uncovered. The side frescoes, depicting San Rocco and San Giovanni Battista, were the most “fortunate,” while the central one was less well-preserved due to neglect over time.

Aside from the financial effort by the local authorities, there was also a modest contribution from some private citizens who had long been advocating for the restoration initiative.

Ancient religious traditions

Since ancient times, along dusty or muddy roads near the village, chapels or images of saints were erected, and through these acts our ancestors expressed feelings of piety and devotion, aiming to ward off — clearly stated by Perantoni in his book — illnesses and calamities affecting themselves, their livestock, fields, and work.

The author further writes: “Today, there’s no time to pay attention to all of that; people have set off in frantic pursuit of the ‘economic miracle,’ which is the pinnacle of their aspirations. These testimonies of our ancestors have become mere ‘things,’ insignificant and, God forbid, laughable.”

It seems that in Pacengo, there’s no longer just a rush towards the “economic miracle,” but rather the people, contrary to what Perantoni bitterly denounced in 1976, have turned back and rediscovered their ancient cultural and religious traditions, especially in the effort to recover the chapels “of our ancestors.”

This is clearly demonstrated by the recent actions of both the municipal administration and private individuals working together in a joint venture to preserve the town’s artistic and religious heritage.

Sergio Bazerla