The Sacro Monte di Graglia is one of the numerous devotional places around the Italian

Alps The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. ...

and it houses the Santuario di Nostra Signora di Loreto, one of the four major sanctuaries of the Biellese territory. Set in the Valle Elvo at 690 m on the sea level, the sanctuary is built near the Lauretana water industry. The complex is a stage of many devotional paths, which include the CoEur - In the heart of European paths and the Path of Saint Charles.

History

1615: don Velotti's project

The history of the Sacro Monte is related to the religious feelings of the early 17th century, when the idea of a "New Jerusalem" built in the neighbourhood was famous thanks to the

Sacro Monte di Varallo Giovanni d' Enrico, ''Ecce Homo ''(detail of the crowd calling for crucifixion), 1608–9 The Sacred Mountain of Varallo () is a '' Sacro Monte'' ("sacred mountain", a type of mountainside Christian devotional complex) overlooking the town of ...

. Don Andrea Velotti, the parish priest of

Graglia Graglia () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Biella in the Italian region Piedmont, located about northeast of Turin and about southwest of Biella Biella (; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the northern Italy, Italian regio ...

had this idea in 1605, as he came back from the

Holy Land The term "Holy Land" is used to collectively denote areas of the Southern Levant that hold great significance in the Abrahamic religions, primarily because of their association with people and events featured in the Bible. It is traditionall ...

. The project imagined the building of 100 chapels decorated with statues narrating several biblical episodes, from the

Genesis Genesis may refer to: Religion * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of humankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Bo ...

to the Life of

Jesus Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

. The building began in 1616 and lasted eight years: in this period only 10 chapels were built and the whole project stopped when don Velotti died in 1624.

1654: Pietro Arduzzi's project

In the following years, thanks to the grace received from Nostra Signora di Loreto, a new project was designed: the building of a majestic sanctuary consecrated to the Madonna Lauretana, with a shelter for pilgrims.

Charles Emmanuel II, Duke of Savoy Charles Emmanuel II (); 20 June 1634 – 12 June 1675) was Duke of Savoy and ruler of the Savoyard states from 4 October 1638 until his death in 1675 and under regency of his mother Christine of France until 1648. He was also Marquis of Saluz ...

was interested in the project and sent the court military engineer Pietro Arduzzi to design the church, and also financed the building. The building began in 1654 and the central plan church was intent to incorporate, beneath the dome, a chapel picturing the so-called Nazareth's house relic kept in the

Basilica della Santa Casa The Basilica della Santa Casa () is a Marian shrine in Loreto, Marche, Loreto, in Marche, the Marches, Italy. The basilica is known for enshrining the house in which the Blessed Virgin Mary is believed by some Catholics to have lived. Pious legen ...

di Loreto. The construction was fast, but it stopped a few times due to wars, famines and epidemics. Only in 1684 the four chapels connected to the sanctuary (

Nativity of Jesus The Nativity or birth of Jesus Christ is found in the biblical gospels of Gospel of Matthew, Matthew and Gospel of Luke, Luke. The two accounts agree that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Palestine, in Herodian kingdom, Roman-controlled Judea, th ...

Visit of the Magi In Christianity, the Biblical Magi ( or ; singular: ), also known as the Three Wise Men, Three Kings, and Three Magi, are distinguished foreigners who visit Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh in homage to hi ...

Presentation of Jesus at the Temple The Presentation of Jesus is an early episode in the life of Jesus Christ, describing his presentation at the Temple in Jerusalem. It is celebrated by many churches 40 days after Christmas on Candlemas, or the "Feast of the Presentation of Jes ...

Circumcision Circumcision is a procedure that removes the foreskin from the human penis. In the most common form of the operation, the foreskin is extended with forceps, then a circumcision device may be placed, after which the foreskin is excised. T ...

) were completed. In the courtyard were positioned two

sundial A sundial is a horology, horological device that tells the time of day (referred to as civil time in modern usage) when direct sunlight shines by the position of the Sun, apparent position of the Sun in the sky. In the narrowest sense of the ...

s and a stone fountain (the burnell, typical of all the Biellese sanctuaries).

1760: the Vittone's conclusion

The conclusion of the Sanctuary took place between 1760 and 1769 thanks to the architect

Bernardo Antonio Vittone Parish Church of Grignasco Bernardo Antonio Vittone (19 August 1704 – 19 October 1770) was an Italian architect and writer. He was one of the three most important Baroque architects active in the Piedmont region of Northern Italy; the other tw ...

, who maintained the Greek cross plan. The façade is rough and severe due to the visible bricks and it contrasts with the inner baroque decoration. The chapel dedicated to the Virgin has the same measures and position of the one in Loreto. A statue of the

Black Madonna The term ''Black Madonna'' or ''Black Virgin'' tends to refer to statues or paintings in Western Christendom of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Infant Jesus, where both figures are depicted with dark skin. The Jungian scholar, San Begg publ ...

was placed in the chapel, in order to seal the importance of the worship to the black Madonna in the Biellese territory, adding this church to the

Santuario di Oropa The Sanctuary of Oropa () is a group of Roman Catholic buildings and structures in Oropa, frazione of the municipality of Biella, Italy. It is located at a height of 1,159 metres in a small valley of the Alpi Biellesi. Madonna Della Oropa The Bl ...

. The dome is a majestic structure (38 m height), painted with frescos with a false perspective in 1780.

1788 and 1829: repositioning of the Casa di Loreto

In 1788 the inside of the church was modified and the imitation of the Santa Casa di Loreto, set in the centre of the church, was moved forward near the presbytery. In 1828 it was ultimately repositioned in the former Chapel of the

Massacre of the Innocents The Massacre (or Slaughter) of the Innocents is a story recounted in the Nativity narrative of the Gospel of Matthew ( 2:16– 18) in which Herod the Great, king of Judea, orders the execution of all male children who are two years old and u ...

Today

The sanctuary is still today destination of pilgrimages, while the only ten chapels of the Sacro Monte realised are in poor conditions. The church of Saint Charles, that was designed to be the end of the Sacro Monte, contains the statue of Saint

Charles Borromeo Charles Borromeo (; ; 2 October 1538 – 3 November 1584) was an Catholic Church in Italy, Italian Catholic prelate who served as Archdiocese of Milan, Archbishop of Milan from 1564 to 1584. He was made a Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal in 156 ...

praying before the dead body of Jesus. The four chapels dedicated to the childhood of Jesus have been added to the church, preserving the statues.

The eleven syllable echo

Along the path connecting the sanctuary with Colle S. Carlo, there is a spot where you can produce the phenomenon of the echo, so clear that can repeat up to eleven syllables.

Gallery

File:Santuario Graglia 2.jpg, Santuario di Graglia File:Santuario Graglia Cupola.JPG, Santuario di Graglia, dome File:Santuario Graglia Fontana.JPG, Santuario di Graglia, fountain File:Adorazione dei Magi Santuario Graglia.JPG, Adoration of the Magi chapel File:Presentazione Tempio Santuario Graglia.JPG, Presentation of Jesus at the Temple chapel File:Chiesa SanCarlo Graglia.JPG, Church of Saint Charles, Graglia File:Saccello San Carlo Graglia.JPG, Statue of Saint Charles Borromeo praying, Church of Saint Charles

Bibliography

* Gianni Carlo Sciolla, Il Biellese dal Medioevo all'Ottocento, Istituto Bancario San Paolo, Torino, 1980

References

{{morecat, date=April 2024 Tourist attractions in Piedmont

Graglia