Fourteen chapels on the mountain
Above the city of Varese, on the slopes of the Campo dei Fiori massif, the Sacro Monte di Varese is one of the nine Sacred Mountains of Piedmont and Lombardy inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Built from 1604 to the end of the seventeenth century, at the time of the Counter-Reformation, it was conceived as a pilgrimage route to replace the journey to the Holy Land.
A cobbled Via Sacra about two kilometres long climbs the mountain, passing through fourteen chapels dedicated to the mysteries of the Rosary, each a small building with its own architecture: inside, life-size terracotta statues and frescoes stage scenes from the life of Christ and the Virgin with great realism, like theatrical sets. At the top lies the medieval village of Santa Maria del Monte, with its sanctuary, the destination of the pilgrimage, and the Museo Baroffio. The view sweeps over the lakes of Varese, Lake Maggiore and the plain. Just beyond, the Campo dei Fiori park has an astronomical observatory and a Liberty Grand Hotel.
Tip: the walk along the Via Sacra takes about an hour; a funicular, open in season, connects the village with the lower part of the route.
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