Santa Dorotea a Val Cannuta is a mid 20th century public dependent chapel of the parish of San Giuseppe all'Aurelio, and is at Via Raffaele Conforti 25 in the Gianicolense suburban district between the Via Aurelia and Via di Boccea.
The dedication is to St Dorothy.
History[]
This is the convent chapel of the Generalate of the Suore Maestre di Santa Dorotea, which was built in 1976 by Cesare Ligini.
Appearance[]
The chapel is part of the purpose-built convent, which stands in well-kept gardens. To the left is the main accommodation, and to the right the chaplain's and extern premises. The chapel has no frontage, but is entered straight ahead through the foyer.
It has a fiddleback plan, with two walls on either side meeting at an oblique inward angle. The back wall, behind the altar, is curved.
The edifice has a concrete frame, with concrete dado and roofline beams. The latter are supported on either side by piers in the angles, each pier having a strip of stained glass window running up each side. The roof is flat, and the walls are infilled with bright red bricks.
Liturgy[]
It is open to the public for one Mass at 12 noon on Sunday, according to the parish website, despite not being listed as a public chapel by the Diocese.
This may be because the sisters wish to help the local worshipping community without entering into a permanent obligation. Also, providing a public Mass centre helps to ensure that Mass continues to be said in the convent.