Italian Chapel | Orkney

On Lamb Holm, the Italian Chapel is a Catholic place of worship made by Italian prisoners of war during the Second World War. The men joined two Nissen huts and decorated the interior with salvaged materials and hand-painted work. Look for the Madonna and Child painted by Domenico Chiocchetti, along with the altar and fittings fashioned from concrete, wood and scrap metal. Informative displays explain the chapel’s story. It is a quiet stop near the Churchill Barriers and Scapa Flow; check road conditions and tide times before setting out.

A chapel built on Lamb Holm

During the Second World War, Italian prisoners of war were brought to Orkney to work on the Churchill Barriers, the sea defences around Scapa Flow. The men were allowed to build a place of worship on Lamb Holm, where they were held. They joined two Nissen huts to create the chapel, using materials they could salvage for its fittings and decoration.

The chapel’s wartime setting is part of its story: it was made by prisoners who wanted a Catholic place to worship. Its appearance also carries a surprise. The structure began as two plain huts, while the chapel’s decorated interior and ornate front give it a very different character.

Chiocchetti’s artwork and salvaged fittings

Domenico Chiocchetti led the chapel’s artistic work and painted its interior by hand. His Madonna and Child is a focal point above the altar. Look for the care in the painted details and the effect of depth created by the paintwork.

The furnishings were assembled from whatever could be reused. The altar and holy-water stoup were made from concrete, the tabernacle from wood taken from a shipwreck, and light holders from corned-beef tins. Scrap metal became the altar rail. These details show how the chapel’s makers worked with limited materials without losing sight of its purpose as a place of worship.