SACRO MONTE DI VARALLO
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A grandiose complex in the heart of a wooded park with 45 chapels
This grandiose complex rises to 608 meters in the heart of a wooded park, set on a rocky spur overlooking the small town of Varallo. The Franciscan friar Bernardino Caimi, on his return from Jerusalem at the end of the 15th century, wanted to reproduce on a reduced scale the holy places of Palestine: the grotto of Bethlehem, Golgotha, etc. At the top of the complex stands the Basilica dell'Assunta. To reach it, we follow a Way of the Cross of 45 chapels: each depicts a scene from the life of Christ, with frescoes and groups of polychrome wooden statues (around 800). The meticulous detail and expressive power of these scenes make them unique in the world, and will live long in the memory. All the Baroque of the Counter-Reformation is expressed here with striking force.
A free app, to be downloaded before the visit, provides invaluable information on each of the site's remarkable points, in the manner of an audioguide, as well as on the other Sacri Monti in Piedmont and Lombardy, classified as World Heritage Sites by Unesco. Unless, of course, you'd prefer a traditional guided tour, so you don't miss out on all the excitement. The site is fully equipped with viewpoints, toilets, picnic tables, several restaurants, an information desk, a bookshop and even accommodation. To get there, take the cable car from Varallo!
