Architetti di chiese, architetti di Chiesa, tra scuola e impegno civile

In post–Vatican II Turin, a distinctive group of architects established a nationally recognized approach to church architecture rooted in both academic culture and ecclesial commitment. Centred on figures such as Mario Federico Roggero, Roberto Gabetti, Giuseppe Varaldo, and Domenico Bagliani, the chapter reconstructs the relationship between the Politecnico di Torino and the diocesan Liturgical Commission established in 1967. Their work combined scientific rigour, design expertise, institutional loyalty, and a daily practice of civic and religious responsibility. Rather than defining church architecture through abstract notions of the sacred, the Turin group gave priority to liturgy, territorial rootedness, and the parish as an urban and ecclesial institution. The chapter also highlights the inherent tensions of this experience: its limited impact on diocesan building practice, its marginal place within architectural education, and the understated character of commitment that proved highly influential despite never becoming fully institutionalized. |