Chiesa dell'Autostrada del Sole
The Chiesa dell’Autostrada del Sole, or theologically called San Giovanni Battista, was completed by Giovanni Michelucci in 1964. Located in Campi Bisenzo, a suburb of Florence, the church was built at the intersection of Autostrada del Sole (A1) and the A11. Technically named after Saint John the Baptist, the name Chiesa dell’Autostrada became common nomenclature due to this unique location.
The church is exemplary of Michelucci’s movement beyond rationalism. His post-war ambitions sought to break away from what he felt was an elitist adherence to the boundaries of style and language.
“This church is a little town,
A tuned up space where men, as they meet, should,
So long as the language of the architecture has been efficient,
See themselves in a common interest and hope,
Which is ‘finding their own self’”
-Giovanni Michelucci, 1964
History of the Church
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The Autostrada del Sole was a revolutionary post-war construction project, designed to connect Milan and Naples with the main intention of boosting the economy in the war stricken country. However this highway came at the price of 164 lives of construction workers. The Chiesa Dell’Autostrada was inspired as a tribute to these lost lives. It lies at the exact midpoint between Rome and Milan, intended as a ‘spiritual rest stop’ for those trekking across the country as well as a functional gathering point. Michelucci himself saw the church as a metaphor for the meeting of different cultures and wanted the architecture to echo the way people met and interacted in the streets.
Formal Overview
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The floor plan is oriented in a cross shape, evoking classical values and traditional construction of churches. However, it was reoriented so that the main body of the church exists on the shorter arm of the cross. YOu are intended to enter through the baptistery and then be lead into the church, to represent a metaphor of the path of man entering Christian life through baptism. Another option for entering the church is along the North-East side. The path is a narrow passageway from the main hall to the Narthex, bordering the chapel of the Eucharist. The passageway is guided by Stations of the Cross, and leads straight to the confession booth. This entrance is intended to be an entrance via the route of penance. Michelucci explicitly banned anybody from creating any additions to the church in the future, out of fear of them deviating from his original layout intentions.
Materiality
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Michelucci was most interested in the juxtaposition of material use, specifically between the natural and manufactured. He viewed this mixing as a commentary on the Italian way of mixing histories; looking forward while also respecting the past. Concrete, a material associated with modernity, pairs with local rubble stones used in the construction of nearby cathedrals. The form that the concrete takes in the Chiesa dell’ Autostrada also manages to defy the limiting authority engineering had previously placed on architectural form.
Structure​
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The structural framework required a complete revision after construction on the church had already started. Michelucci collaborated with Renarder, a group of civil engineers from Rome, to recalculate the interior concrete structural system that exists today.
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A particularly interesting structural detail is that of the church’s steeple. Three parallel beams of reinforced concrete cantilever a various lengths and house the church’s exterior bells. Two concrete stays are then tied back to the beams to keep the steeple standing, all of which occurring completely separate from the interior structural system.
Doors
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What now functions as the main entrance is marked by heavy bronze sliding doors. When the church is open, they are slid open to reveal much lighter glass doors through which you enter directly into the narthex. These sculptural pieces were designed by Pericle Fazzini. The left hand door depicts the Crossing of the Red Sea, and on the right you see the Voyage of the Wise Men (Magi). The baptistery door, which was originally intended to be the primary entrance, was sculpted by Giuseppe Pirrone. It depicts the continuous storyline from Creation to Death of Cain. It’s shaped in a peculiar segmented formation because the door was commissioned before the church was completed, so they had to account for some changes in the floor plan.
Floor
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The floors within the Chiesa compose of various marble tiles placed in an irregular curvilinear grid. Michelucci worked on these floors in collaboration with Anonima Henaux, a local who was known for developing innovating grouting methods. He decided to use marble due to its intrinsic expressive force and because of this chose the stones not on preciousness or rarity but by their presence within the church’s greater spatial composition.
Ceiling and Roof
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The ceiling and roof are undoubtedly striking elements of this structure. When inside the church, the ceiling evokes the impression of a billowing sail or hull of a ship, with the tension point resting over the altar to draw attention there. The roof emmulates a large tent, under which parishoners and travelers are drawn to gather. Michelucci began design for this church with a sketch of a tent supported by sticks, he says that any further complications with design arose only due to structural reasons. It is said that this is supposed to reflect how temporary mankind’s dwelling on earth is.
Walls​
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Michelucci’s treatments of both the interior and exterior walls exemplify material innovation and careful consideration of context. White sardinian cement, which comprise the interior walls, is poured in rough forms to leave imprints, the most common being wood grain texture as a result from wooden trays. The result of these creates a tactile experience with the concrete walls, making it warmer and more comfortable to the touch. San Giuliano Stones, known locally as “Fior d’oro” or “golden flower,” create the external rubble walls, which periodically flow into the inside of the church. A hard and brittle stone to cut, construction of these walls took quite a long time. Michelucci used stone dresser teams from numerous italian regions, insisting that they all cut the stones according to their local traditions. This allowed the church to truly be a product and convergence of italian culture and tradition.
Cloisters and Landscape
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Michelucci also paid attention to the outside elements and landscaping surrounding the church. Two cloisters allow easy access to fresh air and provide light into the church. An outer path wraps around the church’s perimeter, viewed as a “processional road” to Michelucci. He wanted to create a respect zone around the building to shield it from the surrounding highways. Olive trees also dot the landscaping, tying the property back to the Tuscan land.
Patron Saint Sculptures
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Walking into the church today, you enter through the narthex. You are greeted by Sculptures of the Patron Saints, created by Emilio Greco and Venanzo Crocetti. They’re placed on five panels, each with one sculpture on each side. Upon entering and walking in one direction, the viewer sees the first five sculptures by Emilio Greco. Then, upon exiting, the other five are made visible, all done by Venanzo Crocetti. Each of the sculptures represents the patron saint of one of the ten major cities the Autostrada del Sole passes through.
Other artworks
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The Chiesa dell’Autostrada is home to other impressive artworks as well. One of the most impressive is the large stained glass window that looks out from the body of the church to the highway. The window depicts Saint John the Baptist, the namesake of the church, and was created by Giovanni Avenali. Another impressive work is the mosaic visible at the end of the narthex. It is called ‘Angels’ by Bruno Saetti and it resides on the elevated passageway that connects the baptistery, matrimonial chapel, and the choir terrace.
