DAY 2
We go to Orta and visit the Sacred Mountain, or as they say in Italy, Orta’s Sacro Monte-- a devotional complex of 20 small chapels that depict St. Francis’ life through sculptures and paintings. The complex today is a national park, home not only to international travelers, but a place for summer day camps for Italian children, that sits on top of a hill overlooking the beautiful Lake Orta. The complex is just up the hill from the lake, which is dotted with hotels and restaurants. They do not allow cars into the park but coordinate trolleys for the tourists in order to maintain the quiet, serene atmosphere.

When the construction of the Sacro Monte of Orta was initiated in 1590, it was intended as an emulation of another devotional complex: the Sacro Monte of Varallo (which we visited later). A generous patron named Abbot Camico Canobio funded the construction of the first chapel and many other patrons would follow his example in the subsequent years.

Inspired by the ideals of the counter-reformation, Bishop Carlo Bascapé brought a conservative element to the construction of the Sacro Monte of Orta. When Bascapé began oversight of the project in 1593, he sought to make the complex a strict center of devotion. One episode of St. Francis’ life was depicted in each of the chapels, and Bascapé gave precise instructions as to what each scene should look like. He also set up a committee to keep tight watch over how donated funds were spent on the project.

Although Bascapé oversaw the construction during this time, the Sacro Monte of Orta is the result of a collaboration between many creative minds.The overall plan was drawn up by the architect Cleto of Castelletto Ticino. The paintings and statues that tell the story of St. Francis’ life were contributed by highly respected artists from Italy’s cultural centers.

As other bishops took Bascapé’s place and construction continued into the 17th and 18th centuries, a more theatrical style was introduced to the complex. Dramatic poses, vivid colors, and rounded figures began to characterize the chapels. In the late 18th century, the role of the bishop in overseeing the complex diminished and the Franciscan friars were put in charge of service and maintenance. These days, the Sacro Monte of Orta is protected and conserved by a Regional Administrative Board.

The Sacro Monte of Orta is not just a shrine to the past. Today, it is bustling with an order of monks and nuns, who were in the middle of services when our group arrived. Even though they were in the middle of a national park open to tours, the apartments above the chapels are the actual housing of the monks and nuns.

Overlooking Lake Orta from atop the Sacro Monte, is the full view of the Isle of San Giulio, a tiny island consisting of a 12th Century Romanesque Basilica, frescoes and other medieval buildings, which allow you to again, enjoy a slice of the past in historical buildings that have been converted to lodging, sports facility, and museums.
If you are not a history buff, Orta and the surrounding area provide a wide range of modern recreation. On Lake Orta, the full spectrum of water sports is offered: swimming, sailing, canoeing, water skiing and underwater diving. Several golf courses are available and the hills are laced with dozens of trails for hiking and mountain biking.

Travelers who want to soak up modern Italian culture will not be disappointed either. Fine food lovers will find restaurants lush with locally produced wines, cheese, fruits and honey. In the spring and summer, entertainment ranges from flower shows to street markets and festivals.

La Bussola Hotel

La Bussola Hotel and restaurant overlooks Lake Orta and the San Giulio’s Island. This would be a wonderful place to stay when planning a visit to the Sacro Monte, for not only would you be just moments away from the 20 chapels dedicated to the life and works of St. Francis, but you would be moments away from beaches, water sports, and boat rentals, should you decide to explore the San Giulio Island as part of your visit.

The cuisine of the restaurant featured the local fare of the area, which included a goat cheese so sweet and creamy that I asked the chef three times to make sure he really knew what I was asking for.

The main course featured a salmon trout and La Virello, a white fish caught from Lake Orta, cooked simply on a hot stone at our table.

Where to Stay:

Hotel La Bussola Via Panoramica 24 - 28016 Orta S. G. (NO) Tel. +39 0322 911913 hotelbussola@yahoo.it http://www.orta.net/bussola/ Hotel Ristorante Villa San Francesco Orta San Giulio - Fraz. Legro Tel. +39 0322 90258 villas.fransesco@libero.it www.viaggiaedormi.it or www.viaggiaedormi.it/eng/scheda.php? id=13478&plu=1 Hotel Ristorante San Rocco Orta San Giulio - Van Gippini, 11 Tel. +39 0322 911977 info@hotelsanrocco.it www.hotelsanrocco.it Hotel Ristorante La Sibilia Cusiana Plattenasco - Loc. Punta di Crabbia Tel. +39 0323 888030 info@lasibillacusiana.com www.lasibillacusiana.com Hotel Ristorante Villa Crespi Orta San Guilo Via Fava, 18 Tel. +39 0322 91102 villacrespi@lagodortahotels.com www.lagodortahotels.com www.initaly.com www.initaly.com/hisres/crespi/crespi.htm Hotel Ristorante Battle of Britain Ameno - Loc. Vacciago Viale Santuario Bocciola, 17 Tel. +39 0322 998200 hotelbritain@libero.it www.ospitalitalia.it/motore_ primocontatto.php/NO Hotel Ristorante Nuova Italia Gozzana - Via Beltrami, 19 Tel. +39 0322 89118 www.hotelnuovaitalia.net Albergo Ristorante La Genzianella Miasino - Via Per Armeno, 10 Tel. +39 0322 980051 www.genzianella.com/ Hotel Ristorante Croce BIanca Omegna - Via Mazzini, 2 Tel. +39 0323 866106 info@albergocrocebianca.com www.albergocrocebianca.com Bed and Breakfast II Rustico Ameno - Vicolo Scolari, 5 Tel. Fax +39 0322 980323 monaco_riccardo@libero.it www.monteoro.org Hotel Ristorante Cicin Casale Corte Cerro Reg. Gabbio, Via Novara Tel. +39 0323 846702 www.hotelcicin.com Hotel Ristorante Alpi Arola - Via per Omegna, 17 Tel. +39 0323 821116 albergoalpi@yahoo.it http://hotel.saperviaggiare.it/Lago-dOrta.asp Campeggio Punta di Crabbia Pettenasco - Via Crabbia, 2/a Tel. +39 0323 89117 www.campingpuntacrabbia.it Bed and Breakfast Villa Pinin Orta San Guilio - Via G. Fava, 12 Tel. +39 0322 905505 villapinin@yahoo.it www.bed-and-breakfast-in-italy.com/pagina.cfm?ID=1119&IDregione=12 Bed and Breakfast La Fattoria del Pino Miasino - Regione Brascino Tel. Fax +39 0322 980050 martinelli.nigro@tiscalinet.it www.fattoriadelpino.it Albergo Omnidiet Armeno - Fraz. Coiromonte Via Monte Falo 8/10 Tel. +39 0322 999009 omnidiet@Mirapuri-Enterprises.com www.Mirapuri-Enterprises.com Camping Royal Pettenasco - Via Pratolungo, 32 Tel. +39 0323 888945 www.campeggitalia.com/campeggi/gb/ piedmont.htm

Day 3
Graglia, a small village made up of the chief town and various hamlets of the area, includes the Sacro Monte of Graglia overlooking the Elvo Valley, located in the western Prealps of The Biella area. When the Sacro Monte itself was envisioned back in the early 1600s, it was slated to contain 100 chapels. But it was scaled down later and today only five remain. Duke Carlo Emmanuel 11 was the original backer of the project, and it was more than a century later that the church assumed its current appearance with a Greek cross plan surrounded by a 38 meter high dome.

One sanctuary in the complex, the Sanctuary of Our Lay of Loreto, contains the Pilgrim’s Hospice. The rooms are all completely refurbished, and offer a very economical approach to travel within the region. Accommodations for over 100 people are available, complete with cooking facilities, common rooms, and a very interesting 1500 book library of the religious history of the region.

The Sacro Monte has the recreational facilities of a full-scale resort. Lighted fields are available for volleyball, soccer, and bowls (a popular game from the U.K.). There is even a nine hole miniature golf course and in the winter, downhill skiing.

A short walk down the road from the Sacro Monte will transport you into lush mountain pastures ripe for exploring. Many trails are available for walking, mountain biking, or horseback riding. Rumor has it that one spot on the trail towards the Church of San Carlo has an echo that will bounce back up to eleven syllables. The only other place in the world with such an echo is the Grand Canyon.

Although you overlook the beautiful and serene Elvo Valley, you are but a bus ride, or one mile walk into the nearest village, where you can still discover ironwork shops, carpentry shops, and other small stores that feature the artisanal produce and dairy of the area, thanks to the Eco Museum of the Elvo and Serra Valley.

We dined in a small restaurant adjacent to the sanctuary, perfect for anyone staying in the Pilgrim’s Hospice. The specialty was local fare of the region.

Day 4
The Sacro Monte of Varallo sits atop one of the highest mountain peaks in the region.The only way up, was by ski lift. Considering that the way we got to see this miniature society was by a ski lift tram, you might wonder how it was possible to build such a complex. Everybody asked this question. It was such an honor to be given the task of building this complex, that laborers gratefully went up and down this mountain carrying materials to build with by oxen and hand wagons. When I expressed my own surprise at this intense labor, I was reminded by the historic guides, that so important were these pilgrimages to travelers, that worshippers crawled on hands and knees to reach the holy shrines.

But why would religious followers of the 16th century crawl on their hands and knees to reach the Sacro Monte of Varallo? When construction of the place began in the 15th century, a pilgrimage from Italy to Jerusalem was a long and dangerous one. Thus, the Sacro Monte of Varallo was to be the “New Jerusalem” -- a closer and less dangerous version of the Holy Land. In fact, the first hundred years of construction of the Sacro Monte of Varallo were dedicated to replicating the main sanctuaries of Jerusalem.

The forty three chapels in this bite size Holy Land depict the episodes of Jesus’ life in a mix of paintings and statues. The scenes blur the line between the two dimensional world and the three dimensional world by using statues as the foreground and paintings as the background.

Throughout the centuries, many famous religious leaders have made their pilgrimage to this place. In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, many illustrious cardinals, saints, and dukes frequented the sanctuary grounds. Even Pope John Paul II could not resist the allure of this place when he visited in 1984 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the death of Saint Carlo.

Today, we ascend the mountain with a ski lift, and are greeted with reassuring venues such as places to buy water, followed by a full restaurant and bar open to the public, but most intended for those who have chosen to stay in the converted hotel rooms above the sanctuaries. One could easily spend an entire week traveling the grounds of this miniature society, and getting a full grasp of the history that surrounds the 45 chapels.

Day 5
A panoramic road drove us from Graglia to Sordevolo and then to the valley of Oropa. Perched at the top of the valley, is the Sacro Monte of Oropa.

According to legend, the seeds of this Sacro Monte were planted 1,700 years ago when St. Eusebio brought a statue of the Holy Virgin to the valley. But construction of the sanctuary as it exists today began eight centuries ago with seven chapels representing devotional events in Oropa. Between the 17th and 19th centuries, another twelve chapels devoted to the life of the Holy Virgin were constructed. Major construction continued through the twentieth century and included the infamous Royal Door, hospices for the pilgrims, a decorative fountain and plenty of modern remodeling. Today, the place remains a religious epicenter that attracts over 800,000 pilgrims each year.

An organization called “Oropa meeting” has equipped the ancient Sacro Monte with modern technology and comforts. Like the sanctuaries in Varallo and Graglia, parts of the Sacro Monte of Oropa have been renovated into modern sleeping accommodations for visitors. The rooms are lavished with antique furniture and overlook the sanctuary and the Bielesse Alps. There are even two giant conference rooms with 150 seats and full-scale multimedia technology.

The rich history of Oropa can be found outside the Sacro Monte as well. There is a museum dedicated to religious history of the area, a library that holds many ancient texts, two galleries dedicated to votive offerings, and a collection of church ornaments.

Although the man-made sites are incredible, the real ancient grandeur can be found in the natural landscape of the surrounding valley. In fact, the organization that owns and preserves the Sacro Monte also owns and preserves the upper half of the valley. Just down the road is the mountain wildlife refuge as well as the Botanical Gardens where you can wander through a natural beech grove, humid zones, grazing areas, and shrubby zones. If you like to experience nature with sweat in your eyes and dirt in your nails, “downhill” mountain bike riding and rock climbing are popular sports in the area.

Where to Eat:

Ristorante Al Tre Arc Via Santuario d’Oropa, 480 Santuario di Oropa Tel. 015.2455906 Specials: Polenta Concia, Raclette, B ourguignonne, Bagna Cauda Ristorante Croce Bianca Via Santuario d’Oropa, 480 Santuario di Oropa Tel. 015.2455923 Specials: Pasta Di Ceci con Gamberi, Filetto D’Agnello Alla Menta Ristorante Canal Secco Antico Str.Canal Secco, 2 Santuario di Oropa, 480 Tel. 015.2555802 Ristorante Il Macellaio Via Santuario d’Oropa, 480 Santuario di Oropa Tel. 015.2455905 Specials: Polenta Concia Ristorante Canal Secco Trucco Via Canal Secco Trucco, 1 Santuario di Oropa Tel. 015.2455944 Specials: Polenta Concia, Selvaggina, Trote . Ristorante Fornace Piazzale Funivie Santuario d’Oropa Tel. 015.2455922 Specials: Polenta Concia, Antipasti Caldi, Selvaggina Ristorante Capelle Pass.S.Giuseppe, 2 Santuario di Oropa Tel. 015.2455904 Specials: Polenta Concia, Antipasti Caldi, Piemontesi Ristorante Croce Rossa Santuario d’Oropa, 480 Tel. 015.2455907 Specials: Polenta Concia, Selvaggina, Funghi e Primizie Stagione Ristorante La Latteria Via Santuario di Oropa, 480 Tel. 015.2455900 Specials: Polenta Concia Ristorante Bar Valfre P.zle Chiesa Nuova Santuario d’Oropa Tel. 015.2455942 Ristorante La Stazione Via Santuario d’Oropa, 480 Santuario d’Oropa Tel. 015.2455937 Specials: Menu’ A Degustazioni Tipiche, Piemontesi Ristorante Vittino Via Teleferiche, 1 Santuario d’Oropa Tel. 015.2455940 Specials: Polenta Concia e Selvaggina Ristorante Bar Il Camminetto Santuario d’Oropa Tel. 015.2455956