A Roman chapel at the Basilica San Giovanni dei Fiorentini in Rome will be consecrated on Saturday, 21 January 2006, the day when Dominicans honor the Virgen de la Altagracia. It is the first chapel dedicated to the virgin in Europe. The Basilica is centrally located near the San Pedro Basilica and Castel Sant’Angelo, on the eastern side of the Via Giulia (Piazza dell’Oro) in the heart of Rome. The event is scheduled for 5 pm. After the ceremony, a reception will be held at the Museum of Sacred Art of the Basilica. The event organizers, the Dominican Embassy in the Vatican, welcome all Dominicans in Rome to attend the event. Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez, metropolitan Archbishop of Santo Domingo, will read the first mass. The chapel was designed by Italian architect Tommaso Piumelli.
A replica oil over canvas by Leon Bosch of the anonymous original painting brought from Extremadura, Spain to Santo Domingo in the early 16th century is to be placed in the chapel within a mahogany frame donated by Joyeria Brador in Santo Domingo with amber and larimar inserts from the Museum of Dominican Amber collection. Transfer of the frame to Italy was courtesy of Lauda Air. Iris Peynado de Mariotti donated the marble commemorative inscription on the chapel’s flooring.
Dominican ambassador to the Holy See, Rafael Marion-Landais donated the funds to prepare the chapel. Architect Tommaso Piumelli donated his efforts to supervise the works.
Another highlight of the ceremony will be the presentation by Napolitan maestro Antonio Braga, who wrote a special piece for a 20-voice church choir and organ dedicated to the Virgen de la Altagracia for the ceremony.
The Basilica dates back to 1518, a peak time of Florentine prosperity in Rome. Several outstanding architects of the time were involved in its design, and construction was completed in 1740. It sits 3,000 people.