Sacro Monte of Belmonte
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SACRI MONTI OF THE PIEMONTE AND LOMBARDY Briga (CH) SACRO MONTE DI BELMONTE Locarno (CH) Surface Area: 349 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 Belmonte Lugano (CH) Mondiale nel 2003 Elevation: 400 - 700 metres GHIFFA SS33 Environment: hilly SS34 Verbania OSSUCCIO SS340 Aosta-Ginevra (CH) VARALLO VARESE Como Sacro Monte ORTA A26 SP229 A9 OROPA A8-A26 A5 SP299 A8 SP144 Borgomanero Biella Romagnano of Belmonte SP338 Venezia SP230 A4 PROTECTED AREA AND ENVIRONMENT Cuorgné Ivrea The hill of Belmonte features a single granite outcrop in SS565 A4-A5 Novara MILANO Valperga the Canavese territory. From its summit, one can admire Vercelli Bologna BELMONTE A4 Firenze the spectacular view embracing the plain of Ivrea, up SP460 Roma SP590 A26-A4 to the hills of Turin. This area has a great archaeological A26 Serralunga value with findings from a prehistoric site probably SP457 Casale Monferrato CREA dating back to the Bronze Age and remains of a barbarian TORINO settlement from the Longobard period in addition to Savona Moncalvo Alessandria-Genova significant testimonies of the Roman and high-medieval periods. Confirmed evidence about the Sanctuary dates back to the XII century and starting from 1602 it was Access to the Sacred Mount is free of charge held by the Franciscan monks who in the following three centuries supervised the construction of the chapels of the HOW TO GET THERE Sacro Monte. The aediculae are inserted in a landscape By car: motorway A5 Turin - Aosta, exit San Giorgio. Follow indications for Rivarolo, of plateaus and woody, rocky hillocks creating a picture Cuorgné, Prascorsano. of exceptional beauty. The mount summit vegetation is By train: Bus, connections with Turin. Info: www.gtt.to.it strongly influenced by the introduction of ornamental Info: local public transportation: PRONTO TPL - tel 800333444 species, but there are also rare plants typical of cool http://prontotpl.5t.torino.it/ On foot: ancient pedestrian path from Valperga (1 hour walk) (F) zones, among which the Osmunda regalis, a flowering fern, and a carnivorous plant, Drosera intermedia. The INFORMATION Sacro Monte di Belmonte is a protected area of Regione Ente di gestione dei Sacri Monti Piemonte (1991) and since 2012 it has been part of Ente E. Perino Riserva speciale del Sacro Monte di Belmonte Photo Ex Manifattura - Via Ivrea, 100 - 10082 CUORGNÉ (TO) di gestione dei Sacri Monti. tel +39 0124 510605 - fax +39 0124 514114 [email protected] https://www.sacrimonti.org/en/sacromonte-belmonte Sanctuary (E) and Franciscan Monastery of Belmonte (D) Località Trucchi 22 - 10087 VALPERGA (TO) HISTORY FAUNA AND FLORA SACRI MONTI Sanctuary Belmonte - tel +39 0124 617204 - e-mail: [email protected] UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE Tourist Office (Ivrea) The Sacro Monte of Belmonte stands above the town of Among the mammal species populating the protected tel +39 0125 618131 - [email protected] - www.turismotorino.org Valperga (706 m. a.s.l.), in the province of Turin, at the “The nine Sacri Monti of Northern Italy are groups of chapels area are roes, foxes, boars, badgers, dormice and SERVICES entrance of Valle Orco (Canavese area), in a position and other architectural handmade works built between the Hotels and Restaurants offering a breathtaking view of Piedmont. Constructed squirrels. 36 insect species of Ropalocer lepidopters, XVI and XVII century dedicated to different aspects of the Ristorante Belmonte - tel +39 0124 617205 - +39 349 42 14 965 following the will of the Franciscan Friar Michelangelo da Christian faith. Besides their symbolic and spiritual meaning, [email protected] - www.ristorantebelmonte.it daily butterflies, are also present and among amphibians they feature notable characteristics of beauty, virtue and Montiglio, who after spending time Palestine, called to are salamanders, frogs and toads. Common reptiles are charm as they blend in with natural and scenic environments Guided Tours work local artisans and artists to realize the devotional of hills, woods and lakes. They also contain very important Service on reservation at Riserva Speciale Sacro Monte di Belmonte green lizards, colubers and wall lizards. Over 80% of artistic remains (frescoes and statues)”. This is the motivation tel +39 0124 510605 - [email protected] complex. Started in 1712, the Sacred Mount was completed only a century later, maintaining however the Reserve territory is covered by woods, prevalently according to which in 2003 UNESCO included the “Sacri Monti MUST SEE di Piemonte e Lombardia” site in its World Heritage List. This Museo Archeologico del Canavese - www.cesmaonline.org a certain unity in its architectural composition. The chestnut coppice mixed with durmast specimens and prestigious acknowledgement confers universal value to seven Castle of Aglié - www.residenzereali.it monumental complex includes a sanctuary of medieval ashes in the northern area. The underbrush is populated Sacri Monti of Piedmont (Belmonte, Crea, Domodossola, Ghiffa, Ivrea industriale city of the XX century - www.ivreacittaindustriale.it origins and thirteen chapels dedicated to the Passion of Oropa, Orta and Varallo) and two of Lombardy (Ossuccio and mainly by ferns, purple moor-grass (Molinia Caerulea, tall LINKS Christ. The chapels wind along a circular path through an Varese), highlighting the extraordinary richness, qualities Commune of Cuorgné - www.comune.cuorgne.to.it oak wood and century-old chestnuts and large reddish weed) and woodrush, while the slopes exposed to the and values of these historical, artistic and nature gems. The Commune of Pertusio - www.comune.pertusio.to.it chapels series depicts episodes and mysteries of sacred life Commune di Prascorsano - www.comune.prascorsano.to.it granite rocks. The aediculae feature a linear and essential north feature blueberries and hard fern. Along the Livesa through statues, paintings and frescos while blending in with Commune di Valperga - www.comune.valperga.to.it profile. The chapels all feature the same construction stream are the damp areas with black alders, tracts of the embracing environment and contributing in defining the Ente di gestione delle Aree protette dell’Area Metropolitana di Torino features of each monumental complex. Valuable examples of structure with a hall, a round or quadrilateral plan, wild hazels, ashes, an area with forest chestnuts a area www.parchireali.gov.it preceded by a pronaos from which one can admire landscape architecture, the Sacri Monti represent an important Unesco Italy - www.unesco.it mixed with robinia. Among the uncommon species is the meeting point for believers and lovers of art. First arising on the Regione Piemonte turismo - www.visitpiemonte.com the sacred scene, portrayed by terracotta polychrome western Alps, where this phenomenon originated more than statues. From an artistic standpoint chapel n. 1 Jesus royal Osmunda, a 30 - 150 cm tall fern with a cob-like five hundred years ago, the Sacri Monti then inspired similar Condemned to Death, n. 8 the Pious Women and n. 11 inflorescence, blooming between June and July, which models in many parts of Catholic Europe. The seven Sacri Monti Crucifixion represent the most important. The majestic also grows in the damp areas. Vegetation bordering the of Piedmont are part of the protected area system of Regione panoramic position of chapel n. 6 the Veronica makes Piemonte which provides for historical and artistic preservation, it worth a visit, although the sculpture group has long Sabbioniere areas include heathers and purple moor- maintenance and protection of the surrounding environment. grass. The more exposed sides feature terracing with On foot among the Sacri Monti - UNESCO Ente di gestione dei Sacri Monti (legal seat) been lost. Recent renovation works have brought to light The Sacri Monti of Piedmont andl ombardy, a path where to meet art, Documentation Centre of the European Sacred Mounts, Calvaries and Devotional Complexes the original decoration frescoes of three chapels and drywalls testifying the use of a large piece of hilly land for landscape and spirituality s.r.l. Borgosesia Grafica Industria Cascina Valperone, 1 - 15020 Ponzano Monferrato (AL) restored the statues, work by the ceramic masters of agricultural cultivations, vineyards, stable meadows and The Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy are connected by an tel +39 0141 927120 - fax +39 0141 927800 Castellamonte. Among the frescoes, worth mentioning articulated pedestrian path that intersects and overlaps the ancient [email protected] - https://www.sacrimonti.org/ vegetable gardens till a few decades ago. Unfortunately, is the one dedicated to Jesus nailed to the cross, painted Italian and European devotional paths. only a small part is currently cultivated with cereals, fruit The complete route of the Devoto cammino dei Sacri Monti is being with a light and delicate touch by an unknown artist, updated but it can be largely downloaded from the website Sacri Monti - Official #sacrimontisocial sacrimontidelpiemonte presumably from the Lombard school. and grapes, generally for personal consumption. www.sacrimonti.org and printing layout Graphic ThE PIllArS OF ThE rOSArY (F) The pedestrian path connecting Valperga to the Sacred Mount has been restored and enlarged many times. Between 1878 and 1880, on initiative of the canonical Giuseppe Borrone di Salassa,