Suardi Chapel

The Suardi Chapel is an oratory or private chapel inside the villa in Trescore Balneario, Province of Bergamo owned by the Suardi counts. It is dedicated to Saint Barbara and Saint Brigid and was completely rebuilt by the cousins Giovan Battista and Maffeo Suardi. It was fully covered in 1524 by frescoes commissioned by them from Lorenzo Lotto of Christ the Vine and Lives of the Saints. In the 19th century, count Gianforte Suardi built a corridor connecting the chapel to the villa and modified the chapel entrance – those entering had previously immediately found themselves in front of the north wall with its depiction of Christ the Vine.

Located on the road across the Val Cavallina which links Bergamo to Lago d'Iseo, the chapel had existed since the 15th century. Around 1523 count Giovan Battista Suardi commissioned Lotto to decorate the oratory^[1] and so the artist immediately moved to the area. By this show of piety the count hoped to avert a flood (predicted by astrologers for 20 February 1524)^[2] and to counter the seeds of Lutheranism brought to northern Italy by the Landsknechts.^[3] The frescoes were complete by summer 1524.^[4] The artist and commissioners were friends, as shown by their correspondence discussing the cartoons for the intarsi in the choir of Santa Maria Maggiore, Bergamo. Lotto was assisted by Francesco Bonetti, documented as his pupil from 1517 to 1550.^[5]