• CH & IT Roadtrip
    View from our hike up to Sacro Monte di Orta — Orta San Giulio, Italy.
    Chapel XI ... Sacro Monte di Orta — Orta San Giulio, Italy.Chapel XI: St Francis obtains the indulgence of the Portiuncula ... Sacro Monte di Orta — Italy.Chapel XI ... Sacro Monte di Orta — Orta San Giulio, Italy.Chapel XIII: St Francis being led naked through the streets of Assisi ... Sacro Monte di Orta.Chapel XIII ... Sacro Monte di Orta — Orta San Giulio, Italy.Chapel XIII ... Sacro Monte di Orta — Orta San Giulio, Italy.Chapel XIV: St Francis Before the Sultan of Egypt ... Sacro Monte di Orta — Orta, Italy.Chapel XV: dedicated to St Francis receiving the stigmata on Mount Verna ... Sacro Monte di Orta.The New Chapel was never completed ... Sacro Monte di Orta — Orta, Italy.Chapel XVI: St Francis Returns to Assisi from Mt Verna ... Sacro Monte di Orta — Orta, Italy.Chapel XVI: St Francis Returns to Assisi from Mt Verna ... Sacro Monte di Orta — Orta, Italy.Chapel XVII: The death of St Francis ... Sacro Monte di Orta — Orta San Giulio, Italy.Canobian Chapel (XX): Canonization of St Francis ... Sacro Monte di Orta — Orta San Giulio, Italy.Canonization of St Francis ... Sacro Monte di Orta — Orta San Giulio, Italy.Canonization of St Francis ... Sacro Monte di Orta — Orta San Giulio, Italy.Canonization of St Francis ... Sacro Monte di Orta — Orta San Giulio, Italy.From Chapel XX toward the Church of Saints Nicholas and Francis ... Sacro Monte di Orta — Italy.Portico of the Church of Saints Nicholas and Francis ... Sacro Monte di Orta — Italy.The Church of Saints Nicholas and Francis ... Sacro Monte di Orta — Orta San Giulio, Italy.The Madonna della Pietà is behind glass at the altar of the Church of Saints Nicholas and Francis.The Church of Saints Nicholas and Francis ... Sacro Monte di Orta — Orta San Giulio, Italy.2Isola di San Giulio from the terrace of the Church of Saints Nicholas and Francis.Isola di San Giulio from the terrace of the Church of Saints Nicholas and Francis.Statue of St Francis on the stepped path down from Sacro Monte di Orta to Orta — Italy.

    Orta: Day 2 … Sacro Monte di Orta

    July 30 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F

    Another not-to-be-missed place in the area, we were told, is the UNESCO World Humanity Heritage Site of “Riserva Speciale del Sacro Monte di Orta” … one of four sites in the Lago Maggiore region that, overall, have been designated “Sacri Monti.”

    At 1,300-feet (400m), the mount is the highest point of the peninsula on which Orta is located. It is considered sacred for its “… monumental complex of 21 chapels, with 900 frescoes, 336 statues, and the Church of the Saints Nicholas and Francis … .” The complex, which is the only one dedicated to the life of St Francis of Assisi instead of Christ, was constructed over 100 years … starting in 1590.

    While the site can be accessed by a stepped-climb from Piazza Motta, we decided to head there after our visit to Legro. Thus our route took us up the back way … the road that is used to access Sacro Monte by car. It was a steep climb, which wouldn’t have been bad if it had not been such a hot afternoon. At least we saw some lovely views through breaks in the trees.

    Once at the top, Mui and I split up, He went right to check out a few chapels and then find a place to sit and wait for me. I went left. The downside of the direction I took was that I basically saw the chapels in reverse order, starting with the death of St Francis. No matter … I sorted and ordered them appropriately here.

    Mui and I met up at the Church of the Saints Nicholas and Francis. We peeked inside the church to see the wooden statue of the Madonna della Pietà, which dates back to the 10th century.

    After enjoying the views of Isola di San Giulio from the terrace, we took the stepped path down to Orta. Time to rest up before our dinner engagement.    Read more