Church of Salsomaggiore

Competition for the church of Salsomaggiore

On 1st February 1914 the competition was announced for the new church of Salsomaggiore, which was to be built as the replacement for the ancient cathedral of San Vitale. The contract specifications were for plans for a basilica of a length of 50 metres and a width of 25 metres, with a main altar and six minor altars (three on each side), a small bell tower, a baptistery, an organ, some confessionals, the matronea, the tribune, a presbytery and annexes that would include quarters for the church warden and a Sanctuary and Senatorium for visiting figures of authority. The adjudicating board’s verdict of 18th October 1914 listed five proposed plans which would be referred to a second round of examination at the end of which the so-called Pax project submitted by Giulio Ulisse Arata was awarded the contract. Evidence of Sant’Elia’s participation in the competition is supported by an article in “La Sera” newspaper of 19th October 1916, which read “..[Sant’Elia] took part in the competition for the cathedral of Salsomaggiore by submitting an original design…”), as well as by statements made by Giulio Ulisse Arata. No further elements have emerged that link the project to the architect from Como though the details provided by the board’s judges suggest his proposals had taken on the names of INRI and Utopia. According to comments made on the latter, a tentative linkage has been made with the work on the plates brought together here.

“Enchantment and mystery emanate from this strange project [INRI], a composition full of new features that comes to us from the “settentrional vedovo sito” [Trad. Dante’s Purgatory (1: 26) i.e. in the deep far north where certain virtuous stars are out of sight] and which thus lacks that serene vestment of Italianism which we on the Board wish to see observed even by those who express their art as free thinkers […]. This designer, who unquestionably appears to us an artist of uncommon worth, is very well aware that he is with his fantastic composition beating a track that as of now cannot profitably be put into effect and as he is moreover also aware, despite the undoubted merits of his work, that this Board may not go down an artistic road which might repel most people as a perceived perverse trend. We must therefore pass him over; albeit reluctantly rejecting work that is a courageous and artistic attempt to break free from the constraints of traditional art forms”.

“Outside the scope of our examination, insofar as they are draft project ideas, certain beautiful plates are exhibited under the name of Utopia, which show some superb sketches of plans and facades drawn by the hand of a master. We were most willing to pause to study such evidence of ingenuity and originality and admired the wonderful imagination at work behind the artistic compositions that so well illustrate the value flowing from the resources of architectural experience. These very attractive plates show imposing churches imbued with holy mystery; display daring oriental profiles and structures of megalithic simplicity, approached by formidable stairways; it amounts to a complex that exudes the majesty of stone as of ancient time, deep in distant Asia, from whence the wondrous paths of the world”.