Sacro Monte of Orta is behind the town of Orta San Giulio at the tip of the homonymous peninsula, and is surrounded by a majestic forest of century-old trees known today as the Orta Sacro Monte Special Nature Reserve.
The Sacro Monte of Orta: history
The project for this sacred path dedicated to Saint Francis of Assisi dates back to the end of the 16th century, in the middle of the Counter-Reformation period. The renovations of the 11th-century church on the top of the hill and dedicated to Saint Nicholas of Myra or Saint Nikolaos were inspired by the Basilica Inferiore of Assisi, where Saint Francis is buried. The place is still inhabited and managed by the Franciscans.
The sacred path: Saint Francis in Orta
The sacred place comprises a total of 20 chapels (originally the project envisaged 36) that illustrate the life of Saint Francis of Assisi, and also the convent of the Capuchins connected to the church, which was still dedicated to Saint Nikolaos in the beginning, but also to Saint Francis whose extraordinary vicissitudes impregnate the itinerary and also its peak.
The church also has a precious wooden statue depicting the Pietà, which in 1538 was at the centre of a miracle: the wooden Madonna became the subject of worship and perhaps this boosted selecting this place as the location of such an important spiritual project. In addition to this, the church also has a Nativity by Procaccini and canvases by Cantalupi and Busca.
The Sacro Monte of Orta was mostly built between the 16th-17th centuries and the chapels were also decorated by the most important artists of the time: the path has statues by Rusnati, Falconi from Lugano [known for the Colosso del S. Carlo (Colossus of Saint Charles) in Arona] and Bussola and frescoes by Il Morazzone and Il Ferrari.
The path unwinds uphill on the slopes of the hill enclosing Orta from behind, whose starting point is just a few minutes from the centre of town. The path and its chapels reach approximately 400 metres asl at the summit and churchyard, where there is a breathtaking view of Lake Orta – an unexpected thrill and not just for pilgrims.
Photo gallery Sacro Monte of Orta
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