Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy

The Sacri Monti are places of the soul and the result of a grand project of landscape sacralisation implemented by the Catholic Church between the late 15^th century and the 17^th century, i.e. in the difficult Counter-Reformation period.  Dedicated to the stories of Christ and the Saints, the Sacri Monti became privileged seats of a catechism told with images typical of the Counter-Reformation Church, often in previous pagan or early Christian places of worship.  It is important to note that, in spite of their common identity, the Sacri Monti are different from each other due to their relationship with the territorial context and the characters of the local population, creating a cultural landscape where century-old historical and religious traditions interlace. The subject of the sacred mountain is made concrete by evoking Christ’s path to the Calvary; the believer journey becomes a real pilgrimage through a symbolic path of monumental stations that make the natural space sacred.  In this spiritual ascent, the architectural, artistic and natural components combine in an indissoluble unity converting the landscape into an integral instrument of religious educational action. For this reason, the Sacri Monti are always in an elevated position, on hills overlooking built-up areas or on isolated and inaccessible elevations, so that the physical difficulty in reaching them becomes an experience of contemplation and purification.

The representation of sacred episodes is fundamental in the Sacri Monti. The representation by paintings or statuary groups, often detailed and realistic, of scenes of the life of Christ, Mary or the Saints was considered essential to catch the pilgrim’s attention and address their prayer. Saint Charles Borromeo supported meditation in front of sacred images. The Sacri Monti chapels, rich in biblical representations, could help follow the true doctrine, show the contents of faith, elevate the spirit and increase devotion. The Sacri Monti structural and decorative realization involved the major representatives of the late-Renaissance and Baroque Lombard artistic tradition, including Gaudenzio Ferrari, Giovanni d’Enrico, Tanzio da Varallo, Cristoforo Prestinari, Dionigi Bussola, il Morazzone and Francesco Silva, who sparked off mysticism in the “new Jesuralems” in the foothills of the Alps and the sacred routes, in harmony with the natural pureness of lakes, woods and snow-covered tops. After a period of decline significantly coinciding with the 20^th century, today the Sacri Monti are again included in programs of protection and promotion, places of interreligious confrontation, researches and conferences, as well as a destination for pilgrims and religious and cultural tourists.

The Franciscan Order of Observant Friars Minor was the first promoter of this innovative and systematic cultural campaign that changed the landscape in the foothills of the Alps forever and promoted the iconographic realism tradition, which is the unifying element of the Piedmontese and Lombard Sacri Monti. The founder of the first Sacro Monte was Friar Bernardino Caimi, who conceived the “New Jerusalem” of Varallo that imitated and reproduced the places of the Holy Land on a scale, since the real ones had become inaccessible to pilgrims after 1517 due to the Ottoman reconquest of Jerusalem. The realization of the Sacri Monti spiritual spaces was promoted especially within the sphere of influence of the Borromeo’s church as a particular artistic, monumental and religious typology later imitated in the rest of Catholic Europe. The Sacri Monti were a sort of visual catechism accessible also to the poor and simple to defend orthodoxy. The Sacri Monti building often involved local populations and, in many cases, was carried out thanks to donations from local noble families.

Valperga (TO). It is one of the most recent Sacri Monti, whose building was started in the early 18^th century by Franciscan Father Michelangelo da Montiglio, who had lived in the Holy Land. The complex was built in a place where the Marian cult was rooted since the 10^th century and there was a medieval Marian sanctuary. In the wood near the sanctuary, thirteen chapels were built on a circular route starting from 1712 to represent the Way of the Cross and between the 18^th and the 19^th century the Via Crucis subject gave birth to two devotional paths organized by stations. The last chapel was completed in 1825. The statues and frescoes were made by local artists. The surrounding landscape is quite picturesque.

Serralunga di Crea (AL). The complex has an exceptional panoramic view because it stands on the top of a hill at 455 m above sea level. In 1589, the Crea prior, Costantino Massino, decided to enlarge the existing Marian sanctuary and started the building of a series of chapels dedicated to Mary’s life. Today, the Sacro Monte consists of 23 chapels, some of which were completed in the 19^th century. The oldest chapels feature works by Guglielmo Caccia (Moncalvo), Giovanni and Nicola Wespin (the Tabachettis), Giorgio Alberini and the Prestinaris. The chapel of the Coronation of Mary, also known as the Heaven, and the 19^th century chapel of the Ascent of Calvary, with the sculpture group by Leonardo Bistolfi, stand out among the other chapels.

Domodossola (VB). It is the most northern Sacro Monte. The devotional path starts in the town of Domodossola and reaches the Mattarella hill. The complex was conceived by Capuchin Fathers Gioacchino da Cassano and Andrea da Rho in 1656 as a representation of the Passion of Christ for pilgrims. The building went on until the 19^th century so that the 15 chapels show different architectural styles ranging from Baroque to Neoclassicism.

Ghiffa (VB). The Sacro Monte della SS. Trinità of Ghiffa stands unfinished in a splendid position overlooking Lake Maggiore and the tops of the Lombard Prealps. The Sanctuary was built in the early 17^th century over the remains of a medieval oratory, while the three main chapels date back to the mid-century and are dedicated to some episodes of the Bible: the Coronation of the Virgin, the Baptism of Jesus and Abraham. The colonnade with bas-reliefs representing the Via Crucis stations was built in the 18^th century.

Oropa (BI). The Sacro Monte of Oropa is near the Oropa Sanctuary. The Savoy dynasty wished to ennoble what had already been a sacred place for pilgrims in the Middle Ages and, between the 17^th and 18^th centuries, entrusted court architects with the task of building the majestic complex of the Marian Sanctuary.  The sanctuary is considered a Marian cult place of the utmost importance and is at an altitude of 1200 m on the Alps above Biella, with the Sacro Monte of Oropa on the left. The Sacro Monte was built between 1620 and 1720 and consists of 12 chapels that celebrate the Virgin’s story.

Orta San Giulio (NO). The Sacro Monte of Orta celebrates the figure of Saint Francis of Assisi. Its building started in 1590 and went on for more than a century. The 20 chapels, with life-size terracotta statues representing episodes of the life of the Patron Saint of Italy, feature different styles:  late-Renaissance works with simpler and more regular lines, with the appearance of simple locale people, Baroque chapels dating back to the mid-17^th century, where artists – Dionigi Bussola and the painters Nuvolone brothers – interpreted sacred scenes in a spectacular manner and, finally, Rococo 18^th chapels.

Ossuccio (CO). The devotional complex, consecrated in 1699, overlooks Lake Como. It includes the Sanctuary of the Beata Vergine del Soccorso and fourteen chapels dedicated to the Mysteries of the Rosary, which were built starting from 1644 along an ascensional path. Works ended in 1710. The path runs along the natural slope, on top of which is the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Soccorso. The monuments are in harmony with the vegetation and the path offers wonderful views of the surrounding landscape. The Sacro Monte hosts a precious collection of stucco and terracotta statues, some of which by sculptor Agostino Silva; while the frescoes are attributed to Carlo Gaffuri, Innocenzo Torriani and Gian Paolo Recchi.

Varallo (VC). It is the most ancient and largest devotional complex, standing at an altitude of about 600 metres on the hill overlooking the town of Varallo. The Sacro Monte of Varallo includes several monumental buildings: the Basilica dell’Assunta and 45 chapels, all painted and decorated by statues, reaching an astonishing total of 800 works. It was founded in the late-15^th century by Friar Bernardino Caimi, who supervised the building of the original church and the most ancient chapels. The chapel of the Nativity was built based on the directions by Caimi, who wanted it perfectly corresponding to the Grotto in the Bethlehem Basilica he had visited and studied carefully.  The Sacro Monte recreated Jerusalem and other holy places, such as Nazareth and Bethlehem, representing Jesus’s life and the most important chapters of the Catholic doctrine.  Brilliant architect, painter and sculptor Gaudenzio Ferrari created an innovative relation between sculptures and paintings able to generate spectacular units with a strong emotional impact; with an original combination of realism and mysticism, the Varallo chapels succeeded over the centuries in telling the mysteries of faith and affecting popular piety, becoming a reference model for the other Sacri Monti. Other artists involved in the Varallo complex were Bernardino Lanino, Tanzio da Varallo, the d’Enrico brothers, il Morazzone, Dionigi Bussola and Benedetto Alfieri.

On the slop of Mount Velate above Varese is the Sacro Monte founded in 1604 by Capuchin Father Giovanni Battista Aguggiari and built based on the design by Giuseppe Bernascone known as “il Mancino” (left-handed).  Fourteen chapels along the Sacred Route celebrate the Mysteries of the Rosary and lead to the Sanctuary of Santa Maria del Monte. The decorations of the Sacro Monte architectural complex were made in the 18^th century by important Lombard artists such as Giovan Mauro della Rovere, Pier Francesco Mazzucchelli known as il Morazzone, Francesco Silva, the Recchi brothers, Dionigi Bussola, Antonio Busca and Stefano Maria Legnani known as il Legnanino.

Friar Bernardino Caimi (Milan, 15^th century)

He was the founder of the first Sacro Monte, the Sacro Monte of Varallo. He was born in the first half of the 15^th century, joined the Franciscan Order of Observant Friars Minor and lived at first in the monastery of Sant’Angelo in Milan and became later the guardian of the monastery of Lodi. The most important event in his life was a travel to Palestine (1478), with the task of presiding at the appointment of the new guardian of the Holy Land and custodian of Mount Zion; the experience, probably followed by another travel, was very intense and marked his successive life. Appointed as vicar of the Order for Dalmatia, Croatia and Bosnia, he became strongly convinced of the need to reproduce the Holy Places in the West to allow believers to go on ritual pilgrimages – though simulated – to Jesus’ places without facing the dangers and costs of a journey to the East.  In his vision, the episodes of Jesus’s life could be understood and lived by believers by reconstructing  Jerusalem and the other Holy Places on a scale and putting realistic statues in the chapels to meet popular feelings. Therefore, he did his best to obtain the necessary political and financial support. To that end, relationships are documented with Ludovico the Moor, Duke of Milan, and the Varallo aristocracy, from which he obtained full support. Once received the authorization by Pope Innocent VIII to found a Franciscan monastery in Varallo, in 1486 Caimi started the building of the Church and the Monastery of the Madonna delle Grazie and the first chapels. In 1493, the Varallo community donated the church, the monastery and the areas on the hill where the buildings of the devotional complex were to be built, i.e. the first Sacro Monte. The Sacro Monte of Varallo keeps only in part the original structure conceived by Caimi (the Shrine and the Bethlehem complex), who was already considered a saint when still alive and later canonized.  The first chapels were simple buildings with wooden statues, frescoes and paintings aimed at favouring the spiritual identification of believers.

Cardinal Carlo Borromeo (Arona, 1538 – Milan 1584)

Of noble birth, as a third-born he was destined for an ecclesiastical career in which he succeeded with exceptional rapidity, not only for his personal qualities but also thanks to the support of his maternal uncle, Giovanni Angelo de’Medici, who ascended the papal throne as Pius IV in 1559. Cardinal at 22 years old, he was sent to the Council of Trent, became Archbishop of Milan in 1563 and was canonized in 1610. Carlo Borromeo based his life on integrity and rigour and worked with strength, scrupulously following the directives of the Counter-Reformation.   The goal of spreading orthodoxy and reinforcing the relationship between believers and the Catholic Church combined with the Sacri Monti project that the Cardinal understood and promoted as a valid instrument of the Tridentine doctrine, to make sacred history accessible to people in compliance with the Counter-Reformation directions.

►   “Un abisso è certamente Dio; ma colui al quale vuole mostrarsi deve salire fino in vetta ai monti eterni”.

Angelo Silesio, Pellegrino Cherubico (V, 29) (XVII sec.)

 

►  “Era uno spettacolo unico; doveva essere delizioso dormire fra le lenzuola asciugate su un’erba simile e a una simile aria […] C’è da chiedersi, infatti, se in tutto il nord Italia esiste un’opera d’arte più notevole della cappella della Crocifissione di Varallo.”

Samuel Butler, Alpi e Santuari del Piemonte (1881)

 

►  “Benché non conoscessi nulla della storia di questo “Sacro Monte”, la mia sensazione immediata, avvicinandomi al complesso di edifici appollaiati come un nido d’aquila sul fianco della collina, fu di aspettativa, una sensazione come se stessi per intraprendere un’avventura personale di scoperta e di meraviglia”.

Per Kvaerne, Le vie del Sacro. L’avventura spirituale di uno storico delle religioni fra Tibet e Sacri Monti, (Centro di Documentazione dei Sacri Monti, Calvari e Complessi devozionali europei, 2010).

 

►  “Il viaggio a Varallo è un pellegrinaggio. Attraverso una fitta vegetazione, un ripido sentiero conduce dal trambusto della città al silenzio del Sacro Monte. Nella cripta della chiesa, nello “scurolo”, si trova la statua della Vergine, raffigurata come una giovane donna, che dorme in pace perfetta. Le preghiere alla Madre di Dio in questo luogo non sono rimaste inascoltate e sono molti coloro che sarebbero stati guariti dopo avervi pregato. Anche il giro delle cappelle è un pellegrinaggio. Iniziando dalle origini stesse dell’umanità, con Adamo ed Eva, e passando per l’Annunciazione, la Natività, il Battesimo, la Missione e le molte fasi del dramma pasquale a Gerusalemme, coloro che riescono a vedere con gli occhi della fede vengono condotti alla cappella della Crocifissione e, letteralmente, ai piedi della Croce”.

Per Kvaerne, Le vie del Sacro. L’avventura spirituale di uno storico delle religioni fra Tibet e Sacri Monti, (Centro di Documentazione dei Sacri Monti, Calvari e Complessi devozionali europei, 2010).

 

There is a strong relationship between the Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy and Assisi, since both are Italian World Heritage Sites with a formidable religious character and historical and artistic buildings inextricably linked with the surrounding natural environment.

P. Galloni, Sacro Monte di Varallo, Varallo 1909-1914 (ristampa anastatica), Borgosesia 1973

G. Melzi D’Eril, Sacro Monte d’Orta, in D. Giovanni Medruzza, G. Melzi D’Eril, Isola San Giulio e Sacro Monte d’Orta, Torino 1977, pp. 103-227

P. Bianconi, Il Sacro Monte sopra Varese, Milano 1985

A. Barbero, C. Spantigati (a cura di), Sacro Monte di Crea, Alessandria 1998

A Crea riapre il Paradiso, a c. di E. Spantigati, Regione Piemonte, Assessorato alla cultura, Torino, 1995

E. De Filippis, Guida del Sacro Monte di Varallo, Borgosesia 2009

S. Minissale, A. Feltre (a cura di), Calvario: Monte Sacro di Domodossola, Torino 2009

G. e L. Bertotti, Belmonte e il suo Santuario, Torino 1988

P. Crosa Lenz, C. Silvestri, Sacro Monte di Ghiffa, Milano 2000

P. Gatta Papavassiliou, Sacro Monte do Ossuccio. Guida alle cappelle, Menaggio 2013

Atlante dei Sacri Monti, Calvari e Complessi devozionali europei, a c. di A. Barbero, Ponzano Monferrato (AL), Novara, 2001

AA.VV., In montibus Sanctis. Il paesaggio della processione da Fontainemore a Oropa, a c. di T. Galliano, Centro di Documentazione dei Sacri Monti, Calvari e Complessi devozionali europei, Ponzano Monferrato, 2003

S. Butler, Alpi e Santuari, a c. di P.F. Gasparetto, Ponzano, 2004

M. Quercioli, I sacri monti, Ist. Poligrafico dello Stato, Roma, 2005

D. Tuniz (a cura di), I Sacri Monti nella cultura religiosa e artistica del Nord Italia, Cinisello Balsamo, 2005

U. Armiraglio, C. Argentiero, S. Langé, Il mistero e il luogo. Paesaggio e spiritualità nei nove Sacri monti patrimonio dell’UNESCO, Nomos 2008

Di ritorno dal Pellegrinaggio a Gerusalemme, a c. di A. Barbero e G. Roma, Centro di Documentazione dei Sacri Monti, Calvari e Complessi devozionali europei, Ponzano Monferrato, 2008

M. Pedron, I sacri monti di Piemonte e Lombardia, Umberto Soletti, 2009

Convegno internazionale sui Sacri Monti, Varallo 14-20 aprile 1980, Centro di Documentazione dei Sacri Monti, Calvari e Complessi devozionali europei, Ponzano Monferrato, 2009

F. Cosi, A. Repossi, Da pellegrini sui Sacri Monti. Guida pratica e spirituale, Ancora, 2010

P. Kvaerne, Le vie del Sacro. L’avventura spirituale di uno storico delle religioni fra Tibet e Sacri Monti, Centro di Documentazione dei Sacri Monti, Calvari e Complessi devozionali europei, Ponzano Monferrato 2010

I SacriMonti. Bibliografia Italiana, a c. di P.G. Longo e D. Zardi, Ponzano Monferrato, 2010

F. Restelli, R. Franchi, Sacri Monti d’Italia e Svizzera, Macchione, 2013

L. Zanzi, P. Zanzi, Atlante dei Sacri Monti prealpini, Skira, 2014

Luoghi e vie di pellegrinaggio. I Sacri Monti del Piemonte e della Lombardia. Catalogo della mostra a c. di F. Fontana, R. Lodari, P. Sorrenti, Centro di Documentazione dei Sacri Monti, Calvari e Complessi devozionali europei, Ponzano Monferrato, 2004

Sacri monti e altre storie. Architettura come racconto, Catalogo della mostra (Varese, 2 ottobre-29 novembre 2015), a c. di C. Tinazzi, Rubettino,2015

Sacri monti del Piemonte e della Lombardia, SAGEP, 2015

whc.unesco.org/en/list/1068

www.unesco.beniculturali.it

www.sacri-monti.com/

www.sacrimonti.net 

 

The Sacri Monti are places of the soul and the result of a grand project of landscape sacralisation implemented by the Catholic Church between the late 15^th century and the 17^th century, i.e. in the difficult Counter-Reformation period.  Dedicated to the stories of Christ and the Saints, the Sacri Monti became privileged seats of a catechism told with images typical of the Counter-Reformation Church, often in previous pagan or early Christian places of worship. The subject of the sacred mountain is made concrete by evoking Christ’s path to the Calvary; the believer journey becomes a real pilgrimage through a symbolic path of monumental stations that make the natural space sacred.  In this spiritual ascent, the architectural, artistic and natural components combine in an indissoluble unity converting the landscape into an integral instrument of religious educational action. For this reason, the Sacri Monti are always in an elevated position, on hills overlooking built-up areas or on isolated and inaccessible elevations, so that the physical difficulty in reaching them becomes an experience of contemplation and purification.

The representation of sacred episodes is fundamental in the Sacri Monti. The representation by paintings or statuary groups, often detailed and realistic, of scenes of the life of Christ, Mary or the Saints was considered essential to catch the pilgrim’s attention and address their prayer. Saint Charles Borromeo supported meditation in front of sacred images. The chapels in the Sacri Monti could help follow true faith also those who could not read the Bible. The Sacri Monti structural and decorative realization involved the major representatives of the late-Renaissance and Baroque Lombard artistic tradition: Gaudenzio Ferrari, Giovanni d’Enrico, Tanzio da Varallo, Cristoforo Prestinari, Dionigi Bussola, il Morazzone and Francesco Silva.  They filled these religious paths with mysticism in harmony with the natural pureness of lakes, woods and snow-covered tops. After a period of decline between the Second World War and the 80’s of the 20^th century, today the Sacri Monti are again included in programs of protection and promotion, places of interreligious confrontation, researches and conferences, as well as a destination for pilgrims and religious and cultural tourists.

The Franciscan Order of Observant Friars Minor was the first promoter of this innovative and systematic cultural campaign that changed the landscape in the foothills of the Alps forever and promoted the iconographic realism tradition, which is the unifying element of the Piedmontese and Lombard Sacri Monti. The founder of the first Sacro Monte was Friar Bernardino Caimi, who conceived the “New Jerusalem” of Varallo that imitated and reproduced the places of the Holy Land on a scale, since the real ones had become inaccessible to pilgrims after 1517 due to the Ottoman reconquest of Jerusalem. The realization of the Sacri Monti spiritual spaces was promoted especially within the sphere of influence of Cardinal Borromeo as a particular artistic, monumental and religious typology later imitated in the rest of Catholic Europe. The Sacri Monti were a sort of visual catechism accessible also to the poor and simple to defend orthodoxy. The Sacri Monti building often involved local populations and, in many cases, was carried out thanks to donations from local noble families.

Valperga (TO).

It is one of the most recent Sacri Monti, whose building was started in the early 18^th century by Franciscan Father Michelangelo da Montiglio, who had lived in the Holy Land. The complex was built in a place where the Marian cult was rooted since the 10^th century. In the wood near the sanctuary, thirteen chapels were built on a circular route to represent the Way of the Cross. The last chapel was completed in 1825. The statues and frescoes were made by local artists.

Serralunga di Crea (AL). The complex has an exceptional panoramic view because it stands on the top of a hill at 455 m above sea level. In 1589, the Crea prior, Costantino Massino, decided to enlarge the existing Marian sanctuary and started the building of a series of chapels dedicated to Mary’s life. Today, the Sacro Monte consists of 23 chapels, some of which were completed in the 19^th century. The oldest chapels feature works by Guglielmo Caccia (Moncalvo), Giovanni and Nicola Wespin (the Tabachettis), Giorgio Alberini and the Prestinaris.

Domodossola (VB). It is the most northern Sacro Monte. The devotional path starts in the town of Domodossola and reaches the Mattarella hill. The complex was conceived by Capuchin Fathers Gioacchino da Cassano and Andrea da Rho in 1656 as a representation of the Passion of Christ for pilgrims. The building went on until the 19^th century so that the 15 chapels show different architectural styles ranging from Baroque to Neoclassicism.

Ghiffa (VB). The Sacro Monte della SS. Trinità of Ghiffa stands unfinished in a splendid position overlooking Lake Maggiore and the tops of the Lombard Prealps. The Sanctuary was built in the early 17^th century, while the three main chapels date back to the mid-century and are dedicated to some episodes of the Bible: the Coronation of the Virgin, the Baptism of Jesus and Abraham. The colonnade with bas-reliefs representing the Via Crucis stations was built in the 18^th century.

The Sacro Monte of Oropa is near the Oropa Sanctuary. The Savoy dynasty wished to ennoble what had already been a sacred place for pilgrims in the Middle Ages and, between the 17^th and 18^th centuries, entrusted court architects with the task of building the majestic complex of the Marian Sanctuary.  The sanctuary is considered a Marian cult place of the utmost importance and is at an altitude of 1200 m on the Alps above Biella, with the Sacro Monte of Oropa on the left. The Sacro Monte was built between 1620 and 1720 and consists of 12 chapels that celebrate the Virgin‘s story.

Orta San Giulio (NO). The Sacro Monte of Orta celebrates the figure of Saint Francis of Assisi. Its building started in 1590 and went on for more than a century. The 20 chapels, with life-size terracotta statues representing episodes of the life of the Patron Saint of Italy, feature different styles:  late-Renaissance works with simpler and more regular lines and Baroque chapels dating back to the mid-17^th century, where artists interpreted sacred scenes in a spectacular manner. Finally, there are also Rococo 18^th century chapels.

Ossuccio (CO). The devotional complex overlooks Lake Como and consists of fourteen chapels dedicated to the Mysteries of the Rosary, which were built starting from 1644. Works ended in 1710. The path runs along the natural slope, on top of which is the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Soccorso. The monuments are in harmony with the vegetation and the path offers wonderful views of the surrounding landscape. The Sacro Monte hosts a precious collection of stucco and terracotta statues, some of which by sculptor Agostino Silva.

Varallo (VC). It is the most ancient and largest devotional complex, standing at an altitude of about 600 metres on the hill overlooking the town of Varallo. The Sacro Monte of Varallo includes several monumental buildings: the Basilica dell’Assunta and 45 chapels, all painted and decorated by statues, reaching an astonishing total of 800 works. It was founded in the late-15^th century by Friar Bernardino Caimi, who supervised the building of the original church and the most ancient chapels. The chapel of the Nativity was built based on the directions by Caimi, who wanted it perfectly corresponding to the Grotto in the Bethlehem Basilica he had visited and studied carefully.  The Sacro Monte recreated Jerusalem and other holy places, such as Nazareth and Bethlehem, representing Jesus’s life and the most important chapters of the Catholic doctrine.  Brilliant architect, painter and sculptor Gaudenzio Ferrari created an innovative relation between sculptures and paintings able to generate spectacular sets with a strong emotional impact. The Varallo chapels became a reference model for the other Sacri Monti. Other artists involved in the Varallo complex were Bernardino Lanino, Tanzio da Varallo, the d’Enrico brothers, il Morazzone, Dionigi Bussola and Benedetto Alfieri.

On the slop of Mount Velate above Varese is the Sacro Monte founded in 1604 by Capuchin Father Giovanni Battista Aguggiari and built based on the design by Giuseppe Bernascone known as “il Mancino” (left-handed).  Fourteen chapels along the Sacred Route celebrate the Mysteries of the Rosary and lead to the Sanctuary of Santa Maria del Monte. The decorations of the complex were made in the 18^th century by important Lombard artists such as Giovan Mauro della Rovere, Pier Francesco Mazzucchelli known as il Morazzone, Francesco Silva, the Recchi brothers, Dionigi Bussola, Antonio Busca and Stefano Maria Legnani known as il Legnanino.

Friar Bernardino Caimi (Milan, 15^th century)

He was the founder of the first Sacro Monte, the Sacro Monte of Varallo. He was born in the first half of the 15^th century, joined the Franciscan Order of Observant Friars Minor and lived at first in Milan and later in Lodi. The most important event in his life was a travel to Palestine (1478); the experience, probably followed by another travel, was very intense and marked his successive life. He became strongly convinced of the need to reproduce the Holy Places in the West to allow believers to go on ritual pilgrimages – though simulated – to Jesus’ places without facing the dangers and costs of a journey to the East.  In his vision, the episodes of Jesus’s life could be understood and lived by believers by reconstructing Jerusalem and the other Holy Places on a scale and putting realistic statues in the chapels to meet popular feelings. Therefore, he did his best to obtain the necessary political and financial support. To that end, relationships are documented with Ludovico the Moor, Duke of Milan, and the Varallo aristocracy, from which he obtained full support. Once received the authorization by Pope Innocent VIII to found a Franciscan monastery in Varallo, in 1486 Caimi started the building of the Church and the Monastery of the Madonna delle Grazie and the first chapels.

Cardinal Carlo Borromeo (Arona, 1538 – Milan 1584)

Of noble birth, as a third-born he was destined for an ecclesiastical career in which he succeeded with exceptional rapidity, not only for his personal qualities but also thanks to the support of his maternal uncle, Giovanni Angelo de’Medici, who ascended the papal throne as Pius IV in 1559. Cardinal at 22 years old, he was sent to the Council of Trent, became Archbishop of Milan in 1563 and was canonized in 1610. Carlo Borromeo based his life on integrity and rigour and worked with strength, scrupulously following the directives of the Counter-Reformation.  The goal of spreading orthodoxy and reinforcing the relationship between believers and the Catholic Church combined with the Sacri Monti project that the Cardinal understood and promoted to make sacred history accessible to people in compliance with the Counter-Reformation directions.

There is a strong relationship between the Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy and Assisi, since both are Italian World Heritage Sites with a formidable religious character and historical and artistic buildings inextricably linked with the surrounding natural environment.

Devotional, related to devotion, faith and/or religious liturgy.

Sacralisation, making something sacred, giving something or somebody a sacred meaning and function within an institutionalized faith system.

Pilgrimage, a travel with a religious goal and meaning to a place that is considered sacred to perform devotional and/or liturgical acts.

Mysticism, intimate or religious experience involving spiritual elevation and detachment from material and passion daily reality. The mystic is a person who, through meditation and ascetic-contemplative techniques, enters an ecstatic condition, quits ordinary rationality and comes into contact with a mysterious, divine and universal dimension.

Counter-Reformation Church, after the Lutheran schism, in 1545 the Catholic Church met at the Council of Trent to reassert the Church authority, the value of the sacraments, the cult of the Saints and the legitimacy of sacred images. A process of internal Reformation started aimed at a liturgical renovation and a wide work of evangelization that involved also figurative arts, which were called to teach also to those unable to read.