Sacro Monte di Varese, destination of numerous religious pilgrimages but on the other hand also a destination for all those who love art and culture, a place with a rich artistic heritage as well as inscribed on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 2003 offering extraordinary panoramic views from the top of its 880.0 meters above sea level on a hill that is part of the Campo dei Fiori group north of Varese.
The ascent of the Via Sacra on foot was born on the initiative of the Capuchin Father Giovanni Battista Aguggiari with the support of some wealthy families from Varese, a route consisting of 14 magnificent frescoed chapels until it reaches the picturesque village of Santa Maria del Monte where the beautiful Sanctuary stands.
The captivating borgo of late medieval imprint that surrounds this religious building of great importance in the presence of a beautiful belvedere from where we can admire various Alpine peaks, Lake Varese and all the Varese Valleys.
The itinerary, about 2.0 kilometers long , winds along a wide cobblestone path protected on both sides by a medium-low height wall.
The votive chapels are linked to the Mysteries of the Holy Rosary, thirteen of them began to be built in 1604 and finished in 1623, while the last embellishment works with a final touch from an architectural point of view took place in 1698.
The sections divide the chapels into groups of five, most of which were built in Mannerist and Baroque style with large arches, sculptures, life-size statues and frescoes that are linked to seventeenth-century Lombard sacred art with special mention of the ecclesiastical buildings of Milan, Varese and Como.
Each chapel is linked to essential stages of the life of Christ, the second, for example, illustrates the Visitation with statues protagonizing that event, the third in ascending order is dedicated to the Nativity containing a fresco depicting the Flight into Egypt executed by the Sicilian realist painter Renato Guttuso with statues by Cristoforo Prestinari.
The fifth depicts the dispute between the Messiah and the Doctors and is frescoed by Nuovolone, the sixth sees Jesus as the protagonist in the prayer in the garden, the seventh is linked to the Flagellation frescoed by the master Morazzone, the ninth the ascent to Mount Calvary, the tenth to the Crucifixion, the XIV chapel dedicated to the Ascension of the Virgin Mary.
Each of them, in addition to its own religious theme, and you will notice fountains along the path that served and still serve as refreshments for visiting pilgrims.
The Via Sacra del Sacro Monte in Varese is one of the major votive itineraries in Italy, Europe and the world, for its meanings, artistic value of incomparable monumental level for the various famous artists who have contributed to the development of this masterpiece where the magnificent triumphal arches of San Carlo and Sant' Ambrogio also stand out and unique natural beauties in an absolutely beautiful setting.
Once you reach the top of the Sacro Monte you can visit the Sanctuary which represents the fifteenth ring of the Holy Rosary where stands the wonderful bell tower of the architect Giuseppe Bernascone, a pupil of the great Tibaldo Pellegrini, a work dating back to 1598.
The Sanctuary represents the final ring of the Via Sacra with Mannerist and Baroque details in its layout and from an architectural point of view divided into two distinct areas, one finalized in 1579 visible on the right side, the other of typical fifteenth-century matrix with three naves on the opposite side.
The interior contains numerous sublime works of art including the famous Black Madonna, valuable works by Dionigi Bussola, beautiful frescoes by Fiammenghino in the side aisles and sculptures by Andrea da Milano representing The Adoration of the Magi.
On the square you can admire a statue depicting Pope Paul VI while in the adjacent square there is the monastery of the Cloistered Sisters and it is very pleasant in a walk to explore the picturesque alleys and the characteristic tunnels of the village very suggestive.
Time for your lunch, I suggest as traditional specialties, local first courses to choose between Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms or Pennette with Gorgonzola, second courses to choose between Scallops in White Wine or Grilled Turkey Fillet.
Afterwards visit the Ludovico Pogliaghi Museum which opened its doors in 1974 containing sixteenth-century statues, sculptures and paintings dating back to the Renaissance and Baroque periods, some valuable archaeological finds, remains of Neapolitan nativity scenes from the 700s, modern and ancient marbles.
In addition to all this, you will be able to appreciate a statue of Prometheus, drawings and sketches by this Milanese artist, famous for having executed a door of the Duomo of Milan, the sculptural group of Concordia on the altar of the Fatherland in Rome.
A visit to the Sacro Monte of Varese is a unique experience in a day of tourism, art, history and faith in a meaningful way, always leaving the visitor with very pleasant memories.
Link : http://www.sacromontedivarese.it/places/sacro-monte-shrine-chapels-and-crypt-4.html
Where to Stay | Recommended Accomodation
Albergo Bologna
Art Hotel Varese
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Thanks a lot to read and note.