The construction of St. Francis Xavier’s Chapel was commissioned by the Orsetti brothers and finished in 1710. Abandoned for a period during the 1800s, the building was returned to use by the princes of Capua, subsequently becoming the burial place for both the Bourbon-Capua and Pecci-Blunt families.
The bust of the patron St. Francis Xavier (protector of missionaries) is featured on the front façade, above the main entrance door. A work by the Carrara sculptor Alessandro Lazzerini dominates the interior of the chapel – it had previously been rejected for display in the Marlia parish church on account of its large size.
The Sepulchral Monument
The imposing sepulchral monument (dedicated by the Bourbon princess Vittoria Augusta to her parents) shows her mother Penelope, accompanied by a representation of Charity and a cherub holding an unlit torch.
A representation of Charles Ferdinand in uniform, along with representations of Faith and Hope framing the Bourbon coat of arms, complete the cenotaph.
The painting above the altar is from the beginning of the 18th century and depicts the Madonna and Child between Saint Teresa of Avila and St. Francis Xavier.
The Chapel has been completed restored and was open to the public for the first time in 2020 by the current owners Henric and Marina Grönberg.
