Ducal Chapel of San Liborio
The Ducal Chapel of San Liborio is a Catholic place of worship characterized by neoclassical forms, located at Via Roma 3 in Colorno, within the province and Diocese of Parma, behind the grand Ducal Palace.
Originally built in 1722 as a palatine chapel on the initiative of Duke Francesco Farnese, likely designed by Giuliano Mozzani, the church was rebuilt between 1775 and 1777 under the patronage of Duke Ferdinand I, possibly by Gaspare Turbini, who drew inspiration from Ennemond Alexandre Petitot's 1754 designs. Between 1789 and 1792, it was expanded by an unidentified architect, possibly Pietro Cugini, Donnino Ferrari, Louis-Auguste Feneulle, or Domenico Cossetti.
The chapel is regarded, for the integrity of its forms, as a "monument of neoclassical art" and one of the churches housing the greatest number of artworks in the diocese.
History
First chapel
Around 1722, upon completion of the renovation works on the Ducal Palace and its expansive park, Francesco Farnese decided to construct a palatine chapel dedicated to Saint Liborius, the patron saint of those afflicted with kidney stones, a condition from which the Duke of Parma suffered. The oratory, likely designed by architect Giuliano Mozzani, who had previously worked on the palace, was completed in 1725. The Baroque place of worship, bordered to the northeast by the Naviglio canal, featured a single-nave plan flanked by one chapel on each side, with an entrance to the southeast and an apsed presbytery to the northwest. It was surmounted by a high drum supporting a dome, topped with a lantern.In 1734, during the Battle of Colorno, the church sustained partial damage.
In 1755, Duke Philip of Bourbon commissioned Ennemond Alexandre Petitot to design a grander, more expansive chapel that would harmonize with the adjacent palace. The architect produced two drawings and five prints, which were used by carpenter Michel Poncet and carver Marc Vibert to create a scaled wooden model of the new structure. The proposed church, in neoclassical style, was to feature a Latin cross plan with three naves and three vertical orders, the middle one—intended for the duke and his court—being taller and more opulent, adorned with statues and Corinthian columns. A large dome was planned to crown the roof. However, construction never commenced.
Second chapel
About two decades later, Duke Ferdinand of Bourbon resolved to fulfill his father’s vision. The architect responsible remains uncertain, but a surviving copy of a project drafted by Gaspare Turbini in 1772 suggests his involvement, with the design inspired by Petitot’s general layout and decorations. In early 1775, the Baroque chapel was demolished, and the foundation stone for the new temple was laid on May 16 of that year. Construction continued for approximately two years, and on October 16, 1777, the place of worship was solemnly consecrated by Alessandro Garimberti, Bishop of Borgo San Donnino.The neoclassical church was designed with a Latin cross plan comprising three naves, with an entrance to the southwest and an apsed presbytery to the northeast, adjacent to the Naviglio canal. The symmetrical facade featured three portals leading to the narthex, flanked by two spaces for confessionals. The nave was bordered by four chapels on each side, dedicated on the right to the Holy Family, the relics of saints, Saint Peter Martyr, and Saint Dominic, and on the left to the Crucifix, Saint Pius V, Saint Vincent Ferrer, and Our Lady of the Rosary. To the southeast were the chambers of the Relics, the Fire, and the Well, spaces for the confraternities of Saint Roch, the Most Holy Name of God, and the Most Holy Rosary, as well as the bell tower and, at the rear, the sacristy.
The building was immediately enriched with numerous artworks, including oils by Gaetano Callani, Giuseppe Baldrighi, Antonio Bresciani, Pietro Pedroni, Pietro Melchiorre Ferrari, and Laurent Pécheux. Decorative elements were crafted in the following years by prominent ducal artists, including painters Domenico Muzzi and Evangelista Ferrari, stucco artist Benigno Bossi, carvers Ignazio Marchetti, Giuseppe Sbravati, and Giovanni Prati, and carpenter Michel Poncet. An organ by Giovanni Cavalletti was also installed on the choir loft.
In 1786, the chapel of the Holy Relics was renovated based on a design by Donnino Ferrari. The space was decorated by painters Gaetano Ghidetti and Antonio Bresciani, with furnishings crafted by carver Ignazio Verstrackt.
During the same period, to improve access to the monumental building, the Naviglio canal was diverted eastward, and a road was established in its place.
Third chapel
The rerouting of the Naviglio canal did not fully resolve the issue of limited external access, as the facade faced an internal courtyard of the palace, making the chapel primarily a ducal preserve. To facilitate public access, in 1788, Ferdinand of Bourbon decided to reorient the church by 180 degrees and significantly extend the nave. The Duke commissioned an unidentified architect, with historians debating whether it was Pietro Cugini or Donnino Ferrari. Cugini is known to have submitted a facade design, which was not approved, but he likely oversaw the renovation works. Some internal spaces, including the presbytery, were designed and directed by Ferrari, while the main facade is speculated by some scholars to have been designed by Louis-Auguste Feneulle or Domenico Cossetti between 1789 and 1791.Construction began in 1789 with the demolition of the facade, the presbytery, and most of the lateral spaces, preserving only the transept, dome, some chapels, and the bell tower. The works lasted approximately three years, and on October 16, 1792, the new church was solemnly consecrated by Bishop of Parma Adeodato Turchi.
The palatine chapel, maintaining the neoclassical style outlined by Petitot’s 1754 project, was adorned by numerous contemporary artists, continuing the earlier decorative scheme. Most furnishings were retained, though some were adapted to the building’s new dimensions. The original wooden, gilded, and carved high altar from 1777, crafted by Ignazio Marchetti and Giuseppe Sbravati, which included an altarpiece and four statues representing the allegories of Justice, Hope, Faith, and Charity, was not reused. The original organ was replaced with a new one featuring pipes, crafted by brothers Andrea and Giuseppe Serassi between 1792 and 1796.
To further enhance accessibility, in 1796, Ferdinand commissioned the construction of a new bridge over the Parma River, dedicated to Saint John Nepomuk, designed by engineer Giuseppe Cocconcelli.
Between 1834 and 1844, the chapel hosted all religious services in Colorno during the complete renovation of the Santa Margherita Cathedral.
In 1862, with the transfer of the Ducal Palace and its dependencies to the public domain, the grand building was stripped of all its furnishings, except for the San Liborio Chapel, which preserved nearly all its rich artistic heritage. In 1870, the entire complex was acquired by the Province of Parma.
In 2010, significant restoration work began, focusing on the facade, the forecourt, the bell tower, and the adjacent buildings’ exteriors, concluding the following year. However, between January 25 and 27, 2012, the strong earthquakes caused damage to the palace complex, including the Ducal Chapel, leading to its closure for worship. The church underwent further restoration and structural reinforcement, targeting the nave vaults, bell tower, pediment, and facade sculptures. It reopened on July 28, 2013, while the palace restoration was completed two years later, with an official inauguration on February 21, 2015. Additional works, addressing the temple’s external plaster and vases on the facade’s crowning that fell during the earthquake, began in 2020.
Description
The church is designed on a Latin cross plan with three naves flanked by six chapels on each side, with the entrance to the northeast and an apsed presbytery to the southwest.Exterior
Facade
The monumental, symmetrical gable facade, entirely plastered like the rest of the building, is divided horizontally into two sections by a high string course, interrupted at the center.The lower section is divided into three parts. The lateral projections are defined by Ionic pilasters, while the central section is flanked by two Ionic columns. The main entrance portal, framed by a molding and two Doric half-columns supporting an architrave decorated with triglyphs alternating with Bourbon lilies, is enclosed by a double-leaf wooden door, carved in 1777 by Ignazio Marchetti, Giuseppe Sbravati, and Giovanni Prati with geometric motifs and scenes of the Sacrifice of Isaac on the right and the Delivery of the Tablets to Moses on the left. Above the portal, a large slab bears a Latin inscription commemorating the chapel’s foundation and reconstruction: "". The inscription is surmounted by a round arch niche crowned by a semicircular pediment, containing a white Verona marble statue of the Madonna with Child, crafted by Gaetano Cignaroli between 1789 and 1791. Higher up, a central oculus is framed by a molding. The lateral projections feature two secondary entrance portals, framed by moldings and topped with triangular pediments, enclosed by double-leaf wooden doors carved in 1777 by Marchetti with geometric motifs. Above these are two round arch niches containing marble statues of Saint Liborius and Saint Bernard, also by Cignaroli.
The upper section is divided by four Ionic pilasters, aligned with those below. A large round arch connects the lower lateral projections, while two niches on either side house marble statues of Saint Vincent Ferrer and Saint Peter of Verona, also by Cignaroli. The facade is crowned by a large triangular pediment with a dentiled cornice, featuring a bronze sculpture of cherubs arranged in a radial pattern around the Hebrew inscription יהוה, crafted by Benedetto Silvestre. At the apex, four slender vases and a central metal cross rise.
The facade extends at the ends in correspondence with the chapels, with two sections defined by Ionic pilasters and topped with attics. Two tall pyramidal pinnacles crown the structure.