Oropa | Historic Marian Sanctuary of Piedmont

 

 

Oropa is a splendid destination, famous site for its historic Marian Sanctuary dedicated to the famous Black Madonna called Virgin of Oropa in Piedmont concretely the Biella Prealps located 12.0 kilometers from Biella at an altitude of 1159.0 meters above sea level.

This place also includes a Sacred Mount of the same name on the slopes of Mount Mucrone with its homonymous lake and from where you can reach the famous Savoia Refuge on the summit of Monte Camino  at 2,400 meters  via a basket lift.

 Considered one of the major places of pilgrimage in Europe for popular traditions that link this sacred site to the figure of St. Eusebius, Bishop of Vercelli in the 4th century who would have gone with a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary sculpted by St. Luke to Jerusalem,  deciding during a visit to the Holy Land to take it with him to Piedmont on his return and then place it in Oropa.

The Sanctuary was built in 1200 and in different periods illustrious architects who worked for the Kingdom of Savoy, namely Juvarra, Gallo, Beltramo, Guarini, Bonora, Galletto and Arduzzi  with works that lasted between the mid-17th and 18th centuries.

They built a majestic monumental complex consisting of the Ancient Basilica,  Basilica Nuova, Cloister and various sections with side buildings where about 300 rooms  were created to receive visiting pilgrims. 

Statistics on the level of accommodation in recent years show that there are about 800,000 pilgrims a year who reach this Piedmontese Sanctuary elevated to  a Minor Basilica in 1957 by Pope Pius XII  where about 100 processions are celebrated annually.

You can start to admire the magnificent Porta Regia, an 18th century masterpiece by the Sicilian architect Filippo Juvarra  and the triumphal staircase called Scala Regia which opens majestically from the  Piazzale Sacro towards the imposing Upper  Basilica with an architectural development with monumental shapes in sharp contrast with the profile of the ancient Basilica that you can visit. 

The Black Madonna is kept inside a magnificent chapel decorated in pine wood, a  masterpiece of the 13th century by a very skilled sculptor from the Aosta Valley and surrounded by magnificent 14th century frescoes.

It is said that the statue of the Madonna has special characteristics, one of which is linked to the faces of the Virgin and the Child Christ who have never had traces of dust, another corresponding to the total absence of wear, wear or worm processing that could have affected it. 

A third case is connected to the foot of the statue of the Madonna, touched daily by the faithful and sick people as a sign of devotion, a sculptural limb that would have maintained the same original shape without ever wearing out.

In addition it is also said that St. Eusebius, once he arrived in this magnificent amphitheater of the Biella Pre-Alps, had hidden the statue under an erratic boulder  to hide it from hypothetical thefts by heretics.

You can continue the visit the Royal Pavilion of the House of Savoy with the Royal Apartment, a Library that contains over 15,000 ancient volumes  concerning sacred texts and others concerning the territory of Biella and the Museum of Treasures  which boasts a very rich collection of jewels and sacred furnishings of considerable value. 

Continuation with the New Basilica which although consecrated in 1960, was designed in the late 19th century by the architect Ignazio Galletti, an imposing building of immense dimensions with a capacity of about 3000 people and a monumental dome that reaches a height of 80.0 meters

The complex also houses a meteorological-seismic observatory  dating back to 1874 created by Francesco Denza of Naples, a Barnabite father who established the Regio Carlo Alberto observatory in Moncalieri in the province of Turin. 

Still active with obvious modernizations, it is part of the network system of the Piedmont region and functioning as a meteorological station of Oropa.

Next to the Sanctuary there is the Sacred Mount of Oropa  consisting  of 19 chapels, twelve of which narrate the life and episodes of the Virgin Mary with numerous polychrome statues, some of which were sculpted in the seventeenth century and frescoes of the same period, while the remaining seven are linked to purely religious innervating Christian faith and devotion.

Time for your lunch suggested as first courses Piedmontese Agnolotti or Risotto in Cagnone, second courses to choose between Veal with Tuna Sauce with Mixed Salad or Ham Rolls in Sauce with Grilled Vegetables. 

Oropa with its Sanctuary and the wonderful environment of the Pre-Alps of Piedmont are all togheter a fascinating image to immortalise in your memory in day of tourism you will remember with pleasure.

Link :  https://www.santuariodioropa.it/en/

 

Where to Stay | Recommended Hotels in Biella 

Hotel Astoria 

Hotel Agora' Palace Hotel

 

Certosa di Pavia I Sublime Artistic Masterpiece

 

The magnificent Certosa di Pavia,  located 9.0 kilometers from the city of the same name, is a sublime, artistic masterpiece that was built at the behest of Gian Galeazzo Visconti,  who wanted to create a mausoleum a short distance from the Castle of Pavia, in an area that is located north of the Parco Nuovo,  an extensive green lung  on the outskirts of the city.

This spectacular monument was originally conceived as  a mausoleum to house the bodies of the deceased belonging to the Visconti-Sforza dynasty, but it was thanks to Ludovico il Moro, a  famous exponent of the Sforza branch, that the great artistic works in the Duchy began, such as this superfine jewel of the Lombard and Italian Renaissance, also called Certosa delle Grazie or in Latin Gatiarum Carthusia.

The Certosa was originally built in the late fourteenth century as a votive offering by Gian Galeazzo,  Lord of the Visconti Duchy, who allowed work to begin on August 27, 1396,  although the work was finished two centuries later.

A stop in front of the extraordinary façade is a must, from which it immediately shines out for its wonderful architectural lines, a magnificent composition of late Italic Gothic very developed in Lombardy with a refined Renaissance trait  transported to Lombardy by the masters Donato Bramante  and Leonardo da Vinci authentic pioneers of the Renaissance, creators in transmitting the new canons of an artistic movement that was changing history in its own way.

You will notice how these different styles blend where the decorations, traditionally used in the Lombard school, blend perfectly with rectangles and other geometric shapes including  medallions with the heads of famous people from history.

In the upper section there is a very extensive artistic representation of the Old Testament  alongside stages in the life of Christ and the presence of other biblical figures such as Saints, Evangelists and Prophets.

Most of these works were contributed with great style by the masters of the Renaissance, such as Bernardo da Venezia, the designer Giovanni Solari assisted by  his son Guiniforte and the later works of Giovanni Antonio Amadeo.

In general, this architectural masterpiece reveals the artistic hand of masters from different eras who participated in chronological stages in the final success of this masterpiece, declared a national monument in 1866.

Continuation on the right side of the transept with the tomb of the founder Gian Galeazzo Visconti,  while on the opposite side is the funerary monument of Ludovico il Moro Sforza, buried in the company of his wife Beatrice D'Este.

The interior takes inspiration from the Duomo of Milan , the ecclesiastical nerve center of the Milanese Curia, you can see many similarities in the three naves that appear with very marked Gothic lines where the traditional, highly developed decorated cross vaults stand out, frescoes depicting Saints, Carthusian figures and starry skies.

In correspondence with the left transept were frescoes in honour of the noble Dukes Sforza and Visconti. 

A wonderful highlight is the extraordinary cycle of frescoes by Bergognone, of great artistic importance also the beautiful wooden choir with masterful inlay and carving works in  the Old Sacristy and the famous triptych developed with hippopotamus teeth.

I continue with the magnificent Great Cloister, a  masterpiece completed in 1472, exactly ten years after the covering of the Church, a work commissioned by Francesco Sforza.

Extraordinary work above all for the geometry existing in its development, the precious materials used, the symmetry of the elements where magnificent terracotta arches stand out, splendidly supported by refined marble columns, as well as the minor cloister,  less pompous but of equal charm.

 In the basement you can visit the Certosa Museum  which houses over 200 plaster casts corresponding to the reliefs used for the creation of the wonderful façade but also from other sections including the two cloisters, another excellent opportunity to appreciate the fine art of the elements used.

On the upper floor there is another museum space containing portraits of the Visconti and Sforza Dukes, paintings, altarpieces, sculptures, sacred objects, vestments, marble high reliefs.

The complex managed and inhabited by  the Cistercian Monks who replaced the contemplative Monastic Order of the Carthusians is completed with the Refectory, the cells that house the Monks and a small shop where it will be possible for those who wish to buy liqueurs, candies and sweets of monastic manufacture.

At the end of the visit at the end of the visit, there is time for your lunch. Remaining in the traditional first course, you can opt  for Risotto with Beans and Sausage or Soup alla Pavese.

 Among the main courses, a choice of Trout in White Wine with Salad or Ossobuco with Peas. The Oltrepo' Pavese area offers a great variety of fine wines, so you will be spoilt for choice to accompany your lunch.

Visiting the Certosa di Pavia is a unique experience, a full immersion in history and art at the highest exponential levels in being able to admire something unique, leaving indelible memories.

Link : https://www.certosadipavia.it/

Where to Stay | Recommended Accomodation in the area

Agriturismo Maiocchi - http://www.laramaiocchi.it/index.php?lang=it

Agriturismo Cascina Mora - https://www.cascinamora.it/