Sacro Monte di Ghiffa - UNESCO Site of the Sacred Mountains of Alps in Piedmont

When I recently visited Lake Maggiore in Piemonte (Piedmont) in Italy, I made sure to take a short detour to visit Sacri Monti of Ghiffa, one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Italy. Here's all about the history of Sacri Monti of Piedmont & Lombardy, the architecture & chapels of Sacro Monte of Ghiffa, how to reach Sacro Monte of Ghiffa, & more. 

Here's your ultimate guide to visit Sacri Monti of Ghiffa, one of the top things to do at Lake Maggiore and one of the most important Christian Pilgrimage Sites in Piedmont.

The concept of Sacri Monti came into being in 15th-16th C CE when the Christian holy site of Jerusalem became more and more difficult to reach for Christian pilgrims, as Islam became a more and more predominant religion in the region. At that point, various places across Europe were proposed to be set up & promoted as the 'New Jerusalem'. The top 3 contenders in this were Varallo in Valsesia, Montaione in Tuscany, and Braga in Northern Portugal, for their similarity to the topography of Jerusalem. 

Finally, Varallo in Piedmont became the first ever site to be set up as the New Jerusalem, in 1480, as an Alpine Sacri Monti (Sacred Mountains of the Alps). There are a whopping 44 chapels in Varello with hundreds of life-sized, polychrome terracotta sculptures combined with beautiful frescoes. The sculptures have extreme realism and the facial expressions & body gestures are exceptionally natural. Combined with the background frescoes, they are supposed to create a visual drama that has a powerful effect on the devotee (check the 'photos from other Sacri Monti' section below to understand what I'm talking about). In course of time, many more like these complexes were created all over the region.

The idea is to bring a meditative, spiritual experience to the pilgrim where they can walk on a path from one chapel to another (with these sculptures) through a route dedicated to nature (lakes or forests or panoramic views) while not having to go all the way to another country to visit Jerusalem! 

There are a total of 9 Sacri Monti in Piemonte (Piedmont) and Lombardy. 7 in Piedmont - Varallo, Crea, Orta,  Oropa, Ghiffa, Domodossola, and Valperga; and 2 in Lombady - Varese and Ossuccio. During my trip to this region, I managed only to visit Ghiffa.

The idea was to recreate the Holy Mountains of Jerusalem while keeping in mind the nature of this region. These chapels blend with the forests & lakes around but have their own uniqueness with elaborate stories represented by hundreds of terracotta sculptures & frescoes. This unique blend of nature, history, art & culture, created in 15th-17th C CE is why the 9 Sacri Monti in Piedmont & Lombardy were awarded the UNESCO World Heritage Site title in 2003.

The Chapel of the Holy Trinity existed here since medieval times. Even before the construction of various 'Sacre Monte sites', the Sanctuary of Holy Trinity in Ghiffa was a pilgrimage site and was considered sacred & even miraculous. Later, when the concept of Sacri Monti came into being, Ghiffa was one of the obvious choices. After 1647, the 3 chapels we see today were built to expand the already existing Sanctuary of Holy Trinity. Combined with the chestnut woods behind, and of course, the balcony of the landscape view of Lake Maggiore, it is no wonder that it was an obvious choice as a Sacri Monti. 

As soon as I reached the Sacri Monti of Ghiffa, after parking the car, as I walked towards the Sanctuary, I realized how magical the view was! I can share photos here, but it is nowhere near the actual feeling of being there. While the view could be comparable to that of Arona or Stresa, but being here in a sacred grove, surrounded by historical sites, almost in the middle of the Chestnut woods, with hardly another human being around, this is purely a paradise! 

Unlike the other Sacri Monti, the specialty here is the location, so much more by leaps and bounds than the architecture or sculptures. There are just 3 Chapels here in Sacri Monti of Ghiffa along with a Sanctuary and a Way of the Cross colonnade. From a pilgrimage point of view, this is much much lesser than the other sacred mountains of Piedmont and Lombardy like the Sacre Monte of Varallo or Sacre Monte of Crea, etc which have 20 to 45 chapels with hundreds of sculptures! That said, it is now believed that Sacri Monti of Ghiffa is a part of a larger project which was only partly completed!

Sanctuary of Holy Trinity (Santissima Trinita): My first stop was the Sanctuary itself. This is the most historical site in the whole of Sacri Monti of Ghiffa. The earliest parts of the site date back to 12-13th C CE when it was an Ancient Roman Oratory! To date, it is possible to see the ancient masonry underground. In 16th C CE it was expanded and frescoes were painted. The more striking of them all is the Holy Trinity by an unknown artist. This is one of the very authentic representations of the Holy Trinity that's almost indistinguishable from one another. Very soon, thanks to this striking imagery of the Holy Trinity, Ghiffa became a pilgrimage site and was soon associated with miracles! Above this is the fresco of the crucifixion. 

By 1608, it was renovated and a bell tower was added in 1629. On the main altar, is the fresco of the Coronation of the Virgin, painted by Camillo Procaccini who is considered the Vasari of Lombardy. Around this altarpiece are stucco sculptures made in 17th C CE, depicting angels playing musical instruments in white & gold. Most of the other frescoes, especially on the ceiling, etc., are recent work during renovation.

 

Chapel of the Crowned Virgin (Incoronata): The first new shrine to be built after Ghiffa was included as one of the Sacre Monte, is the Shrine of the Crowned Virgin. This is the biggest of the 3 shrines in Sacro Monte of Ghiffa. This is an octagonal chapel built in 1647 by Pietro Giacomo Canetta. On the altar is the group sculpture depicting the Coronation of the Virgin Mary, flying over the clouds, surrounded by angels, made of terracotta. On the niches of the walls are the sculptures depicting St.Thomas, St.Augustine, St.Jerome, St.Gregory, David, Daniel, Prophet Anna, and Prophet Isaiah; also made of terracotta. 

Chapel of St.John the Baptist: The next shrine is of St.John the Baptist. This is the smallest of the 3 shrines and was built in 1659. This is octagonal as well, but it is closed for the public to enter and can be seen only through the windows. There's a life-sized sculpture of St.John the baptist baptizing Jesus Christ (which belongs to a later era). On the wall is the terracotta sculpture of the Holy Father floating over the clouds surrounded by angels. Under this building is a cistern that was earlier used to bring up water atop the hill, so the pilgrims could quench their thirst. Now, this is defunct. 

Chapel of Abraham: The last shrine is of Abraham. This is located a bit away from the other 2 shrines and was built in the early 18th C CE, between 1701-1703. The group of sculptures here was the largest of the 3. It depicts Abraham kneeling before 3 angles which are the personifications of the Trinity. Atop the scene is the passage from the bible that is interpreted - "Abraham sees 3 angels but worships 1 God". In the scene, there is a building beside, from where the patron and his wife are looking at Abraham. The stucco detailing here is the most detailed of the 3 chapels. The detailing on the tree with its leaves & pigeons is beautiful. 

Stations of the Cross: Apart from these 3, there's also the Via Cross that was built later in 1752 CE. In 1824, 14 frescoes with stuccos were painted on the passage.

Apart from the religious sites, the forest behind, Sacro Monte of Ghiffa Special Natural Reserve, covering an area of 200 hectares is also a part of the protected area. A few centuries ago, when the chapels were being built, this was a timber forest (where trees were cut for construction & other purposes). Today, you could hike through this forest filled with Chestnut, Maples, Ashes, Alders, Birches & more. It is also possible to come across deer, foxes, moles, etc, apart from a variety of birds. The day I went, the soil around all the chapels was dug up and I was told that it was the work of wild boars!

How to reach Sacro Monte di Ghiffa?More details below.

Sacro Monte di Ghiffa opening hours: 10:00AM to 05:00PM everyday

Sacro Monte di Ghiffa tickets: Free

Sacro Monte di Ghiffa mass timings: Only in summer & the feast of the Holy Trinity. Call them to confirm timings

Carry lunch! There is a very nice picnic area at the starting point of the natural reserve.

It is a functioning church, so wear appropriate clothing.

Of the 9 sites under Sacri Monti of Piemonte & Lombadie, this is the smallest with just 3 chapels. So, from a pilgrimage point of view, Ghiffa has much less to offer than, say, Varello or Crea. That said, this place is a paradise! It is perhaps the 3rd time I'm saying that in this article. It is truly a paradise. Tucked away on the balcony of Lake Maggiore, far away from the tourist spots, and surrounded by the chestnut woods, Sacri Monte of Ghiffa is one of the top places to visit on your trip to Lake Maggiore. It is so secluded,  peaceful, and so serene. 

If you're on a pilgrimage, just seeing these 3 chapels and an overview of the landscape would just take 30-45 mins. However, as the tagline suggests, Sacri Monti of Ghiffa is a balcony on the landscape of Lake Maggiore! The point of this place is to immerse yourself in the natural beauty of the surroundings and you could easily spend half a day at least hiking around the reserve forest and just relaxing with the panoramic views of Lake Maggiore with hardly any tourists around. When I visited Sacri Monti of Ghiffa there were hardly 4-5 other people there. That is all! 

Being a chapel, a church, you could get married here! Weddings are conducted in the main chapel - the Sanctuary of Holy Trinity (Santissima Trinita). The location is perfect for a nice outdoor wedding in Italy. After the wedding, with the view of Lake Maggiore, the balcony on the landscape, this is just an incredible location for the wedding photoshoot in Piedmont. Just beside the chapels, is a tiny restaurant called Ristorante La Trinita Sacro Monte di Ghiffa which is perfect to feed the guests after the wedding.