Sacro Monte Di Oropa
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SACRI MONTI DI PIEMONTE E LOMBARDIA - UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE Briga (CH) SACRO MONTE DI OROPA Locarno (CH) Surface Area: 1500 hectares United Nations Sacri Monti del Piemonte Riserva speciale Educational, Scientific and e della Lombardia Sacro Monte DOMODOSSOLA Cultural Organization Iscritti nella lista del Patrimonio di Oropa Lugano (CH) Mondiale nel 2003 Elevation: 750 - 2388 metres GHIFFA SS33 Environment: Mountain SS34 Verbania OSSUCCIO SS340 VARESE Como Sacro Monte Aosta-Ginevra (CH) VARALLO ORTA A26 SP229 A9 OROPA A8-A26 A5 SP299 A8 SP144 Borgomanero di Oropa Biella Romagnano SP338 Venezia PROTECTED AREA SP230 A4 Cuorgné Ivrea The valley of Oropa represents the striking environmental SS565 A4-A5 Novara MILANO and scenic setting housing the devotional complex of A. Langhi Valperga Bologna Vercelli the Sanctuary and the Sacro Monte di Oropa. From Photo BELMONTE A4 Firenze SP460 Roma an environmental standpoint, it hosts the richest SP590 A26-A4 A26 Serralunga carabidological wildlife of Piedmont, both for its SP457 Casale Monferrato endemic and variety of species and for the size of its CREA TORINO populations. The Reserve extends within the Conca di Savona Moncalvo Alessandria-Genova Oropa in a 1500-hectares territory between 750-2388 metres above sea level. The area of the Sanctuary and Sacro Monte is surrounded by woods, mostly formed by Access to the Sacred Mount is free of charge beeches, sometimes pure, but more frequently mixed HOW TO GET THERE with mountain maples and ashes at lower altitudes, and By car: from Turin, motorway A4 exit Santhià direction Biella with laburnums and mountain ashes at higher elevations. from Milan, A4 exit Carisio direction Biella Locally, between 1600 and 1700 metres, are areas with from Aosta, A5 exit Santhià direction Biella; from Biella, SS 144 mugo pines of anthropic origin. Recent floral research By train: connections with Santhià-Turin and Novara-Milan - www.trenitalia.com By bus: urban line n. 2 Biella-Oropa, info: ATAP tel 800912716 - www.atapspa.it has enabled establish a list of at least 800 species Conca Info: Local public transportation: PRONTO TPL - tel 800333444 di Oropa, a very high number justified by the variety of www.regione.piemonte.it/ptplweb/index.do environments present in the area. The wildlife is typical INFORMATION A. Langhi of the alpine environment: marmots, ermines, alpine Ente di gestione dei Sacri Monti Riserva Speciale Sacro Monte di Oropa (I) hares, white partridges, black grouses, roes, squirrels, Photo Photo Via Santuario di Oropa, 480 - 13900 Biella - Oropa (BI) A. Langhi tel +39 015 25551200 - fax 015 25551219 beech-martens, weasels and foxes inhabit these [email protected] - www.santuariodioropa.it mountains. Also present are eagles, black woodpeckers, Photo SERVICES red partridges, tree-climbing wood-peckers, alpine Ufficio Accoglienza e Ospitalità - tel +39 015 25551200 choughs and imperial crows. The valley features a series [email protected] - www.santuariodioropa.it of interesting floristic elements, such as the Polygonum Sanctuary Canonico Rettore - tel +39 015 25551220 Alpinum, the Campanula Incisa and the Pedicularis SACRI MONTI Ufficio Offerte e SS. Messe - tel +39 015 25551223 HISTORY Cenisia, while rocky areas are house to the rare Achillea UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE Restaurants Moschata. The Oropa Valley has glacial origins, modelled info: www.santuariodioropa.it/db/it/servizi-di-accoglienza/ristoranti The Sacro Monte di Oropa is embraced by a spectacular by alpine glaciers which during the Pleistocene age, “The nine Sacri Monti of Northern Italy are groups of Conference Hall (D) alpine scenario at 1,200 metres above sea level, just a info: tel +39 015 25551200 - [email protected] between 10,000 and 70,000 years ago, were more chapels and other architectural handmade works built short distance from the city of Biella. The Sanctuary and Area Camper widespread compared to today and reached up to the between the XVI and XVII century dedicated to different info: tel +39 015 25551200 - [email protected] - www.santuariodioropa.it Sacro Monte complex is considered the most important upper Po Plain. The steady and unceasing movement of aspects of the Christian faith. Besides their symbolic and Guided Tours place of Marian worship of the alpine area. The Sacro the glacier made the original valley progressively grow, spiritual meaning, they feature notable characteristics of info: tel +39 015 25551200 - [email protected] Monte was built between 1617 and 1620 by initiative of Tourist Office up to the current U-shape, typical of valleys shaped by beauty, virtue and charm as they blend in with natural Piazza V. Veneto, 3 - 13900 Biella the Capuchin Friar, Father Fedele da San Germano. Its glaciers. The Sacro Monte di Oropa is a protected area of and scenic environments of hills, woods and lakes. They tel +39 015 351128 - fax +39 015 34612 - [email protected] - www.atl.biella.it construction coincided with extensive transformation Regione Piemonte (2005) and since 2012 it has been part also contain very important artistic remains (frescoes MUST SEE interventions promoted by the Savoia Family on the of Ente di Gestione dei Sacri Monti. and statues)”. This is the motivation according to which Cableways and Adventure Park - info: tel +39 015 2455929 buildings of the vast monumental complex dedicated to [email protected] - [email protected] - www.funivieoropa.it in 2003 UNESCO included the “Sacri Monti di Piemonte e Botanical Garden (A) the Black Madonna. As opposed to other cases, where Lombardia” site in its World Heritage List. This prestigious info: tel + 39 015 2523058 - [email protected] - www.gboropa.it the noble families financed the construction of the Museo dei Tesori di Oropa (E) - tel +39 015 25551200 acknowledgement confers universal value to seven Sacri Osservatorio Meteosismico religious complexes, it was the parish communities and TRACKS AND WALKS Monti of Piedmont (Belmonte, Crea, Domodossola, Ghiffa, tel +39 015 25551307 - [email protected] - www.osservatoriodioropa.it the districts of the city of Biella, along with the Duke of Oropa, Orta and Varallo) and two of Lombardy (Ossuccio Museo del Territorio Biellese” - tel +39 015 2529345 - fax +39 015 2432791 The park territory offers many [email protected] - www.museodelterritorio.biella.it Savoia, that funded the construction of the chapels. The and Varese), highlighting the extraordinary richness, Riserva Naturale Speciale Parco Burcina “F. Piacenza” - Pollone (BI) Sacro Monte is composed by twelve chapels dedicated to opportunities to those willing to qualities and values of these historical, artistic and nature tel +39 015 2563007 - www.parcoburcina.org the Virgin’s life. The original project provided for a series take a walk in the enchanting Oropa gems. The chapels series depicts episodes and mysteries LINKS valley: the mountains embracing Commune of Biella - www.comune.biella.it of twenty chapels widely recounting significant episodes of sacred life through statues, paintings and frescos Unesco Italia - www.unesco.it of Mary’s life, known thanks to the Sacred Scriptures and the area of the Sanctuary and Sacro while blending in with the embracing environment and the Apocryphal Gospels. The aediculae feature various Monte are offer a striking view over contributing in defining the features of each monumental types of layouts: central circular, rectangular, oval or the plain and from the opposite complex. Valuable examples of landscape architecture, cross- shaped. The chapels are set out in two parallel side, one can enjoy views of the Val the Sacri Monti represent an important meeting point for rows and aligned along a zigzag-pattern path. The Sacro d’Aosta peaks which can be reach believers and lovers of art. First arising on the western Monte was built in three main construction phases: in taking the cableway connecting the Alps, where this phenomenon originated more than five Ente di gestione dei Sacri Monti (legal seat) s.a.s. di Borgosesia Tipolitografia Documentation Centre of the European Sacred Mounts, Calvaries and Devotional Complexes the first decades of the XVII century, with the activity Sanctuary to Monte Camino. hundred years ago, the Sacri Monti then inspired similar Cascina Valperone, 1 - 15020 Ponzano Monferrato (AL) of the Valsesia modellers of the d’Enrico team, in late models in many parts of Catholic Europe. The seven Sacri The 15 heterogeneous tracks satisfy tel +39 0141 927120 - fax +39 0141 927800 XVII century and early XVIII century with Bartolomeo A. Langhi Monti of Piedmont are part of the protected area system [email protected] - www.sacri-monti.com - www.sacrimonti.net every need: from peaceful and Termine and Agostino Silva, and then with modellers Photo of Regione Piemonte which provides for historical and Carlo Francesco and Giuseppe Auregio and the painter relaxing strolls to the via ferratas for artistic preservation, maintenance and protection of the Sacri Monti - Official #sacrimontisocial Giovanni Galliari. the more adventurous. surrounding environment. and printing: layout Graphic THE CHAPELS Chapel 8 - Natività di Gesù (The Nativity of Jesus) Built by the shepherds of the Oropa Valley who chose this mystery Chapel 1 - Immacolata concezione (The Immaculate Conception) connected to the rural world. Duke Charles Emmanuel II funded its Commissioned by some districts of the town of Biella, it is surrounded construction which houses an extraordinary real dimension crib, one by a nice colonnade supported by 22 columns made with local of the most ancient of the area. The statues were realized by P. G stone. The internal scene is dominated by a large dragon, symbol of Auregio starting from 1716, the background wall paintings are by G. the original sin, placed between Mary’s parents: St. Joachim and St. Galliari. Its construction lasted for about a century. Anne. The cornice depicts the Trinity, Father, Son and the Holy Spirit descending on child Mary and the symbols of Passion. Chapel 9 - Purificazione di Maria (Mary’s Purification) Commissioned by the communities of Vigliano and Valdengo, it was Chapel 2 - Natività di Maria (Mary’s Nativity) built in mid XVII century.