Editor’s Note
For the first time, a selection of fifteen pieces from the Treasure of San Gaudenzio—solid gold and silver artifacts adorned with gems and enamels—is now on public display, thanks to FAI volunteers.
Novara – Some of the thirty pieces of solid gold and silver, kept under the basilica, can now be admired thanks to FAI volunteers. They are made of solid gold and silver, some decorated with precious gems and colored enamels, and are stored in a protected vault within the basilica complex. These are the thirty pieces of the Treasure of San Gaudenzio, known to very few Novara residents, and today they are exhibited for the first time to the public in a selection of fifteen precious objects, the result of devotion and donations from wealthy families or clergy members. They belong to the city, like its basilica.
The “Visit to the Treasure of the Basilica of San Gaudenzio” is organized today at 3:00 PM by the Fondo per l’Ambiente Italiano (FAI) and represents a unique opportunity to discover the hidden jewels of the patron saint. Some pieces, such as the gemmed cross of San Gaudenzio, are used during the solemn mass on January 22, but the very existence of the treasure with its inestimable value is little known.
Among the pieces on display today is a chalice in crystal and silver, perfectly preserved despite its delicacy, donated by Bishop Giuseppe Maria Maraviglia in 1612, and another in solid gold, gifted to the basilica by a member of an order that required a tribute to the church at least once in a lifetime. He fulfilled the obligation and spared no expense. Also on view is the so-called “Chalice of Orvieto,” in solid silver with a width of 40 centimeters and reproductions of the three theological virtues and scenes of Christ’s Calvary; it was offered to the basilica by Monsignor Paolo Durio as a votive offering.
The stories of the treasure will be told by FAI volunteers, led by President Matteo Caporusso, who is “at home” today because he also heads the Fondazione della Fabbrica Lapidea, which manages and preserves the basilica and the Cupola of San Gaudenzio:
An example of this connection between past and present can be represented by a monstrance finely decorated with blue enamels. It was donated to the Basilica of San Gaudenzio by Pietro Antonio Natta, a nobleman who lived in the palace on Piazza Matteotti where the Province and Prefecture are located, and who would go to stay in his country villa in Cameri, the Picchetta, home to the Ticino park and many leisure activities.
Beyond today’s first exhibition, the president of the Fabbrica Lapidea has an important project for the Treasure:
Here, a selection of the treasure could find space with a permanent exhibition that would itself become a jewel of the basilica, for the faithful of Novara but especially for tourists who climb to the Cupola and visit the city. “However, resources are needed to equip the former chapel with armored display cases and security devices,” comments the president of the Fabbrica Lapidea. “I invite entrepreneurs, patrons, and foundations to support us: to create something that will last over time.”
