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A devotional itinerary: the Piedmontese and Lombard Sacred Mounts
Since 2003 the complex of the Piedmontese and Lombard Sacred Mounts has been included in the World Heritage by the UNESCO, an acknowledgement for the protection and valorisation activity that these two Regions have undertaken towards such old devotional complexes.
Now we deal just with three out of the nine Sacred Mounts that make up the group acknowledged by UNESCO World Heritage: leaving from Varese and moving westwards and towards Mount Rosa, which stands out magnificently and is visible even from Varese.
Let’s leave from Varese, preferably early in the morning: at daybreak the view is amazing. Below us we find the town and the neighbouring lakes and ponds of the entire province: the Lake of Varese, the Lake of Comabbio, the Lake of Monate and up to Lake Maggiore. In the background the horizon is marked by the uninterrupted outline of the mountain rage with the Mount Rosa massif standing out, lit up by the gold sunlight of the dawn. This sacred place is consecrated to the Virgin Mary and the Chapels of the devotional itinerary represent the Mysteries of the Rosary.
Only some fifty kilometres separate this point to Orta, the second devotional leg of our itinerary. From Varese we come down toward Lake Maggiore and then, crossing the Ticino river in Sesto Calende along the Simplon national road, we will run across the charming roads of the Vergante (in Arona we climb toward Oleggio and Invorio, then we pass through Bolzano Novarese going downhill to Orta) to get Lake Orta.
Here we are at last to the Sacred Mount of Orta, with its Chapels consecrated to St. Francis’ life, and the view over the small and charming Lake Orta is now amazing: it is an expanse of water plunged in the green of the surrounding woody hills of Cusio. On the opposite lakeshore, the impressive rock dominated by Madonna del Sasso stands out, with its natural balcony overlooking the basin.
In the afternoon, after a stop in Orta and St. Julius Island, the itinerary goes on westwards for 35 kilometres, getting near the Alpine range. The itinerary here proposed is the most panoramic one: from Orta let’s take the national road towards Gozzano, then climb up again northwards along the west lakeshore, towards San Maurizio d’Opaglio. Just after the built-up area we can opt for a slight detour to enjoy a charming panoramic view near the sanctuary of Madonna del Sasso. Then we go on toward Arola, taking the road that climbs toward the Colma Pass (Passo della Colma), which divides the Cusio from Valsesia. After Civiasco, the slope goes down toward Varallo, where the road markings take us to the ascent toward the third Sacred Mount.
The Sacred Mount of Varallo is the oldest one (it dates back to 1491) and it draws its inspiration from the sacred places of the Holy Land. The devotional itinerary of the Chapels is consecrated to Jesus and the Virgin Mary’s Lives.
This is a proposal to visit three out of the nine Sacred Mounts that make up one of UNESCO World Heritage territories (for sports fans the whole itinerary can be travelled over by bicycle too). Two out of the nine mounts are situated in Lombardy, the Sacred Mount of Varese and the Sacred Mount of Ossuccio (on Lake Como), while seven are the Piedmontese ones.
One out of the seven piedomontese ones is situated in Monferrato, the Sacred Mount of Crea, while the others stand out for their pre-Alpine collocation, in the northern Piedmont. In Lake Maggiore Region we find the Sacred Mount of Ghiffa and the Sacred Mount of Domodossola; in Cusio Region the Sacred Mount of Orta and in Valsesia the Sacred Mount of Varallo. Finally, going ideally eastwards, there we find the Sacred Mount of Oropa, just to the North of Biella, and the Sacred Mount of Belmonte in the Canavese Region.
For further information please refer to the following website: http://www.sacrimonti.net
In particular, the web pages consecrated to the Piedmontese and Lombard Sacred Mounts: http://www.sacrimonti.net/User/index.php?PAG=Sito_it/sacrimonti
Zone
Il Lago d`Orta