Sacro Monte d’Orta was erected by Amico Canobio with the aim of celebrating the life of St.Francis. The construction started in 1590 on the site of medieval church of San Nicolao, famous for preserving the venerated image of the ‘Madonna della Pieta’.
The complex extends on a hill on the peninsula where lies the town of Orta, in an enchanting landscape suggesting prayer and meditation.
Canonisation of St Francis
The idea of Sacred Mountains arose during Counter Reformation aiming to stop spreading of Protestant movement. The place offers a theatrical event, within groups of chapels are painted terracotta statues of life size (in the complex are 376) and numerous frescoes depicting episodes from the life of the saint as a backdrop to the statuary groups.
according to the initial project there were 32 chapels, out of which today pilgrims can see 21. Unlike other Sacred Mountains this complex is dedicated to one saint only, representing significant moments from the life then death and the canonization of St. Francis
The visit to the chapels allows to appreciate the development of architectonicl and artistic styles over the centuries. The most ancient chapels are simple decorated only with frescoes and terracota sculptures, more elaborated Baroque style has clearly affected the figures in the chapels XVII, XIX and XX, while the Capella Nouva is a fine example of Neo-classical style.
In 2003 the group of nine Sacred Mountains in Italy including Sacro Monte d’Orta became World Heritage Site protected by UNESCO.
[photo courtesy of ttrinoid]
