Chapel of St Mary of the Angels Alpe Foppa

The Santa Maria degli Angeli chapel designed by the world-famous architect Mario Botta was built between 1992 and 1996 and is located on the Alpe Foppa on Monte Tamaro.

Considered a marvel of contemporary architecture, it houses paintings by Enzo Cucchi, an artist of the Transavanguardia movement. Among his works, the deep blue apse features hands cupped in offering, equally integrated in the unfolding of the Marian iconography, distributed in twenty-two panels above the windows. Father Giovanni Pozzi, a Capuchin and distinguished scholar of the forms of prayer and spirituality, composed the twenty-two litanies. In addition to offering a space for meditation, the chapel allows a new interpretation of the landscape. It is located on the edge of a slope, beyond which an extraordinary panoramic view opens up.

Film director Villi Hermann has produced an evocative documentary entitled "TAMARO. Stones and angels. Mario Botta Enzo Cucchi" which talks about the Swiss architect Mario Botta and the Italian artist Enzo Cucchi. For more information, please visit the dedicated file in the Ticino in Film section of our website.