In the 19th century, the liturgical building was enriched on three sides with an ambulatory portico for novenas. Currently, the chapel has a somewhat irregular appearance, with a taller central section (and older) topped by a gabled roof, flanked by a smaller structure on the right side, covered with a slate roof that extends to shelter the ambulatory on three sides. Both sections feature a small door; the one on the left is surmounted by a lunette and flanked by two small rectangular windows. At the top of the roof, there is a simple bell gable and a metal cross. Two marble slabs are affixed to the façade: the first invites almsgiving in the name of the Virgin Mary; the second marks the boundary between the municipalities of Cuneo and Borgo San Dalmazzo.
Description: The venerated image is a painting of the Madonna and Child, enclosed in a carved and gilded wooden frame with overlapping foliage motifs typical of the early 17th century. It is a modest work attributable to a local painter from the 17th century; currently, the fresco is in poor condition, damaged by dirt and the state of neglect the church was in until recently.
In use: between 1500 and 1699
Image: Painting
Collection of ex-votos: No
In reality, scholar Cesana states that an ancient document indicates this chapel existed before the founding of Cuneo (1198): Cesana, *La cappella di Crocetta*, 1997, p. 55; however, since neither the location nor the nature of this document is known, it was deemed more appropriate to limit the account to the verified data collected during research. In recent times, the sanctuary was nearly abandoned, and its revival is largely due to the goodwill of the local residents.
Based on recently uncovered frescoes on the back wall, depicting four saints and a donor, it is reasonable to hypothesize that the current chapel was built toward the end of the 16th century, though some sources mention its existence as early as the 12th century (Cesana, *La cappella di Crocetta*, 1997, p. 55). The most significant decorative campaign after the 16th-17th century one dates back to the early 20th century and is the work of local painter Bartolomeo Giorgis. From the beginning, the chapel has been cared for by private individuals; today, it is maintained and protected by the residents of the hamlet. In the 1990s, a fire set by unknown individuals at the church door spread throughout the structure, destroying not only the entrance door but also the pews and the curious wooden altar apparatus mentioned in the city guide (Cordero, *Da piazza Europa*, 1988, p. 152).
Since the parish lies exactly on the border between the municipalities of Cuneo and Borgo San Dalmazzo, jurisdiction has also been divided accordingly. Thus, the Crocetta Chapel is partly under the jurisdiction of the San Rocco parish (Cuneo) and partly under that of Borgo San Dalmazzo. According to oral accounts from local residents, the church is primarily cared for by the San Rocco parish.
The same applies to the spiritual care of the sanctuary. However, it should be noted that, as it was once a private family chapel, it was not always tended by the incumbent parish priest but by priests chosen by the family itself.
Since, based on current research, no documents clarifying ownership transitions have been found, the account relies on oral communications from local residents. The chapel, whose patronage belonged—from an unspecified date (approximately the 19th century)—to the Bongioanni and Bertarione families, owners of the farmhouses in front, was cared for at the patrons’ request by an elderly woman living in the hamlet. After her death, the task passed to Mr. Giovanni Dutto, who still tends to it today. Mr. Dutto is also part of the neighborhood committee that, as part of efforts to enhance the area, works to maintain the chapel—the spiritual center of the community—in good condition.
12011 Borgo San Dalmazzo CN, Italy
