Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy, Religious architectural complex in Northern Italy.
Description
The Sacri Monti comprise nine sacred mountains scattered across the hills of Piedmont and Lombardy, each hosting a network of chapels and religious buildings. These complexes have been built starting from 1486 and continue across the landscape.
History
These sacred mountains developed during the Counter-Reformation as pilgrimage destinations closer to home than the distant Holy Land. They provided believers with spiritual journeys without requiring travel to distant places.
Culture
Each complex holds chapels decorated with frescoes and sculptures that tell stories of the Bible and the lives of saints through visual art. Visitors walking through these spaces encounter religious narratives carved in stone and painted on walls.
Practical
Many of the mountain sites are accessible via walking trails that connect multiple chapels through natural surroundings. Visitors should be aware that some paths are steep and conditions vary by season.
Did you know?
These sacred mountains blend religious buildings directly into the surrounding natural landscape rather than imposing them upon it. The structures seem to grow from the forests and hills around them, creating a seamless visual experience.
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Isola Comacina
1.2 km
Villa del Balbiano
1.6 km
Sacro Monte di Ossuccio
747 m
San Benedetto Church
2.1 km
Lido di Ossuccio
1.2 km
Santo Stefano church
2 km
Villa Aureggi
2 km
Abbazia dell'Acquafredda
1.5 km
Isola Comacina
1.2 km
Torre del Soccorso
565 m
Chiesa della Santissima Trinità
1.7 km
Santuario della Beata Vergine del Soccorso
594 m
Sant'Andrea
1.5 km
San Giovanni Battista
1.2 km
Santa Maria Maddalena
1.2 km
Santi Giacomo e Filippo
762 m
Church building of Abbazia dell'Acquafredda
1.5 km
Chiesa di San Bartolomeo
928 m
Santo Stefano
2 km
Torre di Villa
2 km
Bell tower of Abbazia dell'Acquafredda
1.5 km
Sacro Monte Ossuccio - Chapel 6
803 m
Bell tower of the church of Santo Stefano
2 km
San Giovanni baptistery
2.1 km
Cappella XIV del sacro monte della Beata Vergine del Soccorso
605 m
Cappella XIII del sacro monte della Beata Vergine del Soccorso
666 m
Cappella XI del sacro monte della Beata Vergine del Soccorso
734 m
Sacro Monte Ossuccio - Chapel 7
802 mDiscover hidden gems everywhere you go!
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