Basilica Shrine of the Black Madonna, Catholic pilgrimage church in Oropa, Italy.
The Sanctuary of Oropa is a Marian complex at 1,159 m in a natural mountain amphitheatre near Biella. Its long pale-yellow three-storey facade has a taller central section with three arched doorways, columns, a clock and a small dome, while deep rounded arches line the wings. The grey stone facade of the Old Basilica, with a triangular pediment and sculpted black figure over the door, stands beside a paved courtyard.
A church dedicated to Santa Maria stood here by the 8th–9th century and was consecrated by Bishop Aimone di Challant in 1294. It was rebuilt in the early 17th century as the Ancient Basilica, which houses the Black Madonna. The Upper Basilica was built between 1885 and 1960, holds 3000 people and has a dome 80 metres high.
The statue of the Black Madonna wears a golden cloak that changes according to the season and feast days. Pilgrims leave votive offerings in the nearby rooms as they pray before the carved wooden figure.
The sanctuary lies at 1,159 m in a valley of the Biella Alps, about twelve kilometres north of Biella. The complex includes guest lodging for pilgrims and tourists, and the Sacro Monte with its chapels stands on a hill west of the churches. The Biella–Oropa tramway that once served the site was closed in 1958.
The treasury preserves hundreds of crowns and jewels donated by pilgrims over the centuries. Many of these gifts come from European noble families and document the far-reaching devotion to this site.
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