Cappelle dinastiche in area alpina: cantieri e dinamiche politiche nel primo Trecento

Dynastic chapels in the Alps. Construction sites and political dynamics of the early 14th century The Alps were a privileged area of institutional experimentation during the formation of the regional principalities and this impacted strongly on dynastic architecture. This paper explores the construction, updating and decoration of chapels in certain Savoy castles on both sides of the Alps and within the broader framework of the role played by palace chapels in European kingdoms and duchies. The abundance of accounting records available allows analysis of several aspects of life on the construction sites and an almost day by day understanding of the actions of Savoy officers, and the ensuing local dynamics. The essay examines, in particular, certain episodes linked to works commissioned by Count Amadeus V for Chambéry and Chillon, and – on the Italian side – those of Philip of Savoy in Pinerolo and Turin, seen in the perspective of interventions in neighboring principalities.