THE SACRI MONTI IN PIEDMONT AND LOMBARDY

Domodossola

The Sacred Mount of Domodossola 

(also known as Sacro Monte Calvario) is a

Roman Catholic sanctuary on

the Mattarella Hill, Piedmont,

northern Italy).

It is one of the nine Sacri Monti of

Piedmont and Lombardy, included in

the Unesco World Heritage list.

The chapels, dedicated to the Via

Crucis, are positioned along a devotional route

which starts on the outskirts

of Domodosola and ends at the summit of Mount Mattarella. The sanctuary on

top was consecrated in

1690 and in 1828 the philosopher and

priest, Antonio Rosmini, founded

there the Institute of Charity.

The Sacro Monte di Orta is a Roman Catholic devotional complex in the comune of Orta San Giulio on the summit of a hill known as San Nicolao, which faces the western shore of Lake Orta. It is one of the Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy, included in UNESCO World Heritage list. Construction of the complex, 

dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi, began in 1583. Until 1630 they were mostly in the Mannerist style, but from the mid-17th century Baroque and other influences predominated. Construction ended in 1788.

ORTA

The Sacro Monte di Orta is a collection of masterpieces of

architecture (20 Chapels)sculpture (376 statues in human dimensions) and painting (900 paintings).

ORTA BY NIGHT

The Sacred Mount of Varallo

The Sacred Mount of Varallo is located in Valsesia, in the 

province of Vercelli.It sits on a rock buttress in 

the upper side of the town of Varallo.

It is the oldest and the most important Sacred Mount of 

the alpine region.

Its story began in the 15th century when a friar decided to reproduce the holy places 

of Palestine in Valsesia.

The Sacred Mount of Varallo includes a basilica and forty-five frescoed chapels hosting over eight hundred statues.

Over a period of time, several important Piedmontese artists contributed to the decoration and completion of the works of this 

extraordinary complex.

The Sacro Monte of Santa Maria Assunta, Serralunga di Crea

View of the facade of the Sanctuary

The "Chapel of Paradise"

The chapels dedicated to the Mysteries of the Rosary were

positioned around the one thousand year old Marian

sanctuary on the highest of the hills of Basso Monferrato .

As time passed the initial scheme of the monumental

layout was altered on a number of occasions and in 1820 significant restoration work began after its partial

destruction.

Sacro Monte di CreaClay statues of the "Paradise Chapel", detail of The Crowning of the Virgin

The Sacro Monte di Crea (literally ‘Sacred Mountain of Crea’, although it

is built on a hill rather than a mountain) is a Roman Catholic

sanctuary in the comune of Serralunga di Crea, Piedmont,

northern Italy. It is reached via a steeply ascending route which winds

through a wooded natural park.

Construction began in 1589, around an existing sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin Mary whose creation is traditionally attributed to Saint Eusebius of Vercelli, around 350 AD. Eusebius is also said to have installed the statue of the Madonna which is still venerated in the sanctuary.

Sacro Monte di Oropa

The Sacred Mount of Oropa is a devotional complex of 12 chapels located outside the walls of the Sanctuary

of Oropa in Biella.

Twelve chapels are dedicated to the life of the Virgin Mary with frescoes

and statues, the other seven represent episodes of

the Christian faith. The complex belongs to the

system of Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy, it became part of UNESCO in

2003.