Turinese silversmith, Chalice with rocaille decorations, 1771

Embossed, chiselled, stamped and gilded silver

Characterized by delicate, sinuous decorations in the rocaille style popular in the late 1700s, this precious silver chalice has been in the cathedral’s collection of treasures for over two centuries.

Works this ancient have not survived to the present day by chance. They have endured the ravages of time, the risk of theft and the perils of oblivion thanks only to the care of the community. The valuable materials and the refinement of the decorations testify to the great value that was given to the sacred vessels used during liturgical celebrations. A chalice filled with red wine plays a central role, not just as an accessory but as a sacramental sign of Christ’s gift.

But who wanted to give this chalice to the cathedral? The question is answered by an inscription at the edge of the base which recalls the donor, Bishop Giacinto Amedeo Vagnone, and the year, 1771.

An illustrious figure, he served as bishop of Alba from 1769 to 1777, when he retired for health reasons. During his brief episcopate he was responsible for many important interventions, benefitting both the cathedral and the bishop’s residences.

He left his mark on the precious furnishings of the bishops’ chapel, now dedicated to the Holy Sacrament, and he worked for the creation of a new Sacristy of the Canons for the cathedral, the Aula Capitolare, where at his own expense he had installed the multi-coloured marble altar that can still be seen today.  

To mark his retirement, the cleric wanted to leave an enduring legacy, donating all of the sacred furnishings, both in textile and precious metals, commissioned during his episcopate. In particular, the memory lives on of a gift of an elegant hanging in lamé taffeta, embroidered in silk chenille and gold thread with multi-coloured flowers, particularly prized for the quality of the design and the execution technique.

Bishop Vagnone was famed as a munificent benefactor due to his generosity. Among his most important works was the completion of the construction of the bishop’s summer palace in Altavilla and its furnishing, which he paid for in part with family money.

Ravizza Gaspare, Solar monstrance, 1755

Embossed, chiselled and gilded silver

This monstrance, also known as an ostensorium, tells a story of devotion and generosity, summed up in the inscription engraved around the edge of the base. It mentions a name, Franciscus Dominicus Barizanus, the confraternity members and two dates, 1684 and 1755.

This precious object is the result of a dual gift.

Francesco Domenico Barisano, born in Alba in 1633, was the physician for the house of Savoy. In a move of great generosity, in 1684 he left a bequest so that a monstrance could be made for the San Giuseppe Confraternity, which since 1656 had been based in the church of the same name. Confirmation of this gesture can be found in an ancient document from 1707, an inventory of items kept in the sacristy.

But the story continues: the second part of the inscription takes us to 1755, when the confraternity members entrusted Turinese silversmith Gaspare Ravizza with the task of using the silver from the old monstrance, by now in bad shape, to make a new one.

How do we know he was the craftsman? The answer is hidden in a stamped hallmark, in this case the dove of the Holy Spirit surrounded by rays, identifying Ravizza. 

The presence of the inscription around the base shows the desire to preserve the memory of Doctor Baresano’s original gift.

Giovanni Tommaso Groppa, Reliquary statuette of Saint Lawrence, 1720-1730

Embossed, chiselled, engraved and gilded silver

This Saint Lawrence (San Lorenzo in Italian) wears a dalmatic, the liturgical vestment typical of deacons, finely decorated with floral and vegetal motifs, and holds a palm and a gridiron, the symbol of his martyrdom, as he was roasted alive over hot coals on the orders of the Emperor Valerian.

He lived in the 3rd century AD and is the patron saint of the city of Alba, with the cathedral of San Lorenzo dedicated to him.

The silver statuette depicting him is a reliquary, a precious container for a relic. In the Christian tradition a relic is a part of the body of a person venerated as a saint, but fragments of other objects can also be considered relics, such as scraps of clothing.

We don’t know who brought the relic of Saint Lawrence to Alba, but we can see from documents that for centuries it was stored in a modest container of bronze and coral, until it was decided to produce a refined reliquary in the saint’s likeness. At this point the relic was transferred to an oval silver box and incorporated into the base of the statuette.

The craftsman who produced this masterpiece was Asti silversmith Giovanni Tommaso Groppa, a leading name among Piedmontese metalsmiths between the end of the 17th and the start of the 18th centuries. We can identify him thanks to his hallmark, a distinctive stamp with the initials GTG and the crowned Savoy knot. Among his most prestigious clients were the bishop of Asti, Innocenzo Milliavacca, a prominent figure with a great artistic sensibility.

An interesting hypothesis suggests that the commissioner of our reliquary might have been Giuseppe Roero, bishop of Alba, a cultured patron and emulator of Milliavacca who also served as archdeacon of the cathedral of Asti during his episcopate.

In the list of objects left by Roero after his death we find a gold ring with a large topaz. An annotation added later informs us that the ring was sold and the proceeds—a not-insignificant 75 lire—were used to pay for the reliquary. Indirectly, or perhaps in fulfilment of his wishes, we can imagine that our reliquary was a gift from the illustrious bishop to his cathedral and the entire Alba community.

Turinese workshop, Altar cross, 1841

Moulded and painted wood, embossed and engraved silver

“Sulla tomba del divo Teobaldo/ gloria di Vico che gli diede culla/ i suoi conterranei vennero a prostrarsi / e deporre questo segno del comune riscatto/ il dì memorando XXV luglio MDCCCXLI”

“On the tomb of the illustrious Theobald, / glory of Vico that gave him cradle, / his fellow countrymen came to prostrate themselves / and lay down this token of shared redemption / on this day to be remembered, 25 July 1841”

With this inscription, the altar cross displayed here tells of a collective gift from the people of Vicoforte to commemorate one of Alba’s patron saints.

Let’s go back in time: A 12th-century cobbler, Theobald dedicated his life to making shoes before deciding to set out on a pilgrimage to Santiago di Compostela. He returned determined to dedicate his life to the poor and needy, and so he did for many years, dying shrouded in sanctity.

Theobald was already being worshipped in the first years after his death, which took place in around 1150, but official recognition of his veneration came thanks to Michele Fea, the bishop of Alba, in 1841. To mark the occasion, magnificent celebrations were organized in Alba, with even King Carlo Alberto taking part. He donated a precious antependium for the saint’s altar in the cathedral, produced by renowned embroiderer Pietro Battistolo.

But what role did the Vicesi, the inhabitants of Vicoforte di Mondovì, have in all this?

Theobald was in fact born there, but left when he was very young to seek work elsewhere, eventually settling in Alba.

The people of Vicoforte began to show interest in him only when, at the end of the 1500s, the members of the Confraternity of Pilgrims of Alba who came to worship the Blessed Virgin at the Vicoforte sanctuary made them aware of the importance of their fellow townsman. In 1711 they organized the first pilgrimage to the saint’s grave, which was repeated every 25 years or so until 1866. Precious gifts were brought for the occasion and sonnets and panegyrics were composed.

On the occasion of the 1841 pilgrimage, the Vicesi brought the altar cross that we can see now and which continues to tell a story of a saint and a community.