"'SACRED MOUNTAIN'" a Varallo Travel Page by white_smallstar

It is the oldest Sacro Monte in Piedmont .
It is made up of 44 Chapels, some of which are isolated, while others are part of monumental groups. They are rich in more than 800 life-size wooden and multicoloured terracotta statues. They represent the life, the Passion, and the death of Christ.

The Sacro Monte was created by architects (G. Alessi, B. Alfieri), painters, and sculptors (G. Ferrari, Giovanni D'Enrico, Tanzio da Varallo, E. Prestinari, the Morazzone).
The devotional complex was founded in 1491 and it is the oldest of the Sacri Monti (Sacred Mountains) and the most important one from the artistic and religious point of view.
The area lying within the sacred fence is divided into two well-distinct areas.
The first is rich in plants and green, and it is organized like a garden dotted by the presence of various chapels.
The second area is situated on the top, preceded by the Porta Aurea, and it is made up of small buildings full of porticoes facing the two squares of Tempio (the religious square) and Tribunali (the civil square), in the attempt to repropose the town of Jerusalem.

From its natural terrace you can enjoy a view of the whole area, from Bassa Valsesia to Monte Fenera.
In the North-West it is possible to see in the background the massif of Mt. Rosa.