The sacred mountain of Varallo Sesia

Piedmont is the region that, despite having so much to offer, has not yet been discovered by tourists who leave seduce by the best known goals. Yet it is a serious mistake because in Piedmont there are real treasures of human ingenius including the Sacro Monte of Varallo Sesia, an exceptional complex of buildings formed by 43 chapels located along a path that is immersed in the green of a hill above the small town, Varallo.

The foundation of the Sacro Monte is closely linked to the nature and faith of medieval man as well as to the political situation of that era when the pilgrimage in places of worship becomes difficult and dangerous. So from the 15th century projects began to be born whose role is to present to the faithful the facts of the Passion of Christ and give the opportunity to follow his steps without the need to make a tiring and expensive journey to the Holy Land.

This idea finds its expression in the inscription at the entrance to the tomb of Jesus where it is written: Ut hic Jerusalem vidat here wandering nequit — “For here to see Jerusalem who cannot pilgrim you.

Regardless of the religious aspect, Sacro Monte di Varallo is an extraordinary show for art lovers.

The complex of the buildings consists of about fifty chapels with 400 groups of figures and about 4000 figures that appear in the fascinating frescoes by great artists such as Gaudenzio Ferrari, Giulio Cesare Luini, Giovanni and Melchiorre d'Enrico, Michele Prestinari, the Rovere brothers known as “the Flemish”, Antonio d' Enrico called “the Tanzio”, Pier Francesco Mazzucchelli called “the Morazzone” and many others that over the course of a couple of centuries attributed to the birth of this & ldquo; New Jerusalem.”

The Sacro Monte has another interesting aspect: the naturalistic one. The complex itself stands on a rocky threshold that dominates the entire lower Valsesia up to Monte Fenera and, towards no