Sacro Monte di Ghiffa
The Sacro Monte di Ghiffa is a place of pilgrimage above Ghiffa on Lake Maggiore in Italy and belongs to the group of pre-alpine Sacri Monti , which were added to the list of world cultural heritage in 2003. At the end of the 16th to the middle of the 17th century, a plan was drawn up for the expansion of an old place of prayer, which was dedicated to the Most Holy Trinity . Further construction work was carried out from the middle of the 17th to the 18th century. In addition to the pilgrimage church, the Sacro Monte di Ghiffa includes three chapels , in which biblical scenes are depicted, and the arcade of a way of the cross .
history
The Sacro Monte di Ghiffa is located on the wooded slopes of Monte Cargiago (788 m) above the village of Ghiffa at an altitude of 375 m and offers a view of Lake Maggiore . According to tradition, at the time of evangelization by St. Julius and Julian have stood a chapel at the place. There is historical evidence of a Romanesque oratorio from the 12th or 13th century. The site has expanded over time to cope with the growing influx of believers. The first historical document that mentions a church is from 1591; it was drawn up during the visitation of the then Bishop of Novara , Monsignor Cesare Speciano. From the description of the church consecrated to the Most Holy Trinity, it can be concluded that it corresponded to the space occupied by the first yoke of the current sanctuary. Above the altar was a still existing fresco with the three times repeated image of Christ on a table: a symbol of the Trinity that evokes “three identical and different people”. This image, which is believed to have miraculous powers, is widely revered. The oratory was probably already under the protection of the old order of the Trinitarians, who were particularly committed to the veneration of the Most Holy Trinity.
The construction of a new pilgrimage site took place from 1605 to 1617, when the main body of the building was built with donations from the population. The project was under the patronage of the Bishop of Novara, Carlo Bascapè, who was particularly committed to the Sacri Monti. Between 1646 and 1659 the bell tower was built and the church was completed. At the same time, the construction of the chapels began, including that of the Coronation of the Virgin Mary in Heaven (1647), the chapel of John the Baptist (1659) and the chapel of the ancestor Abraham (1703–1722). In 1752 an arcade with 14 arches was built for the pilgrimage site to view the stations of the cross . A few years this arcade on the north side was completed with the construction of a chapel, which was dedicated to the painful mother . The depictions of the Way of the Cross under the arcade date from 1930 and replace the now faded frescoes from the 19th century.
During the 18th century, the "house of the hermit" (Casa del Romito), a modest apartment for was on one side of the church Chaplain of the Trinitarians, who supervised the Sanctuary. The house was converted into a chapel in 1929 with a statue of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane.
In the course of the 19th century, the sanctuary gradually fell into disrepair, until in 1985 the Ghiffa municipal administration approved a restoration and upgrading project. After an agreement with the Piedmont region, the special nature reserve of the Sacro Monte of the Most Holy Trinity was created. In 1988 a plan for the restoration of the buildings and their facilities was approved. This project made it possible to become a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2003.
Architecture and equipment
The arcade of the Way of the Cross and, above all, the two baroque chapels with an octagonal floor plan that rise from the square help to compensate for the rigor of the pilgrimage site. These are the chapel of the Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary with a vestibule that rises on a rock, and the chapel of John the Baptist with the circular portico. The Abraham Chapel, about a hundred meters below, has a cruciform floor plan. The terracotta statues in the chapels are probably the work of local craftsmen.
The coronation of the Virgin Mary in heaven is framed by angelic figures, which Christ and God the Father carry. In eight wall niches around there are statues of Isaiah , Hanna , the hll. Gregory , Hieronymus , Augustine , Thomas Aquinas , the prophet Daniel and King David .
In the chapel of John the Baptist there are two statues depicting the baptism of Jesus .
The third chapel depicts Abraham's supper with three angels, which St. Augustine interpreted as an image of the mystery of the Trinity (Tres vidit, unum adoravit) . This chapel refers directly to the iconographic theme of the Sacro Monte di Ghiffa.
Nature reserve
The special nature reserve of the Sacro Monte of St. Trinity of Ghiffa extends over the slopes of Monte Cargiago from the district Ronco to the summit and has a forest area of approx. 200 hectares. Numerous paths lead through the nature reserve, including some characteristic votive chapels.
As a result of recent afforestation, the forest above Sacro Monte consists mainly of Scots and White Pines and a semi-natural habitat of chestnuts and English oaks that extends over the entire reserve. Upwards, where the rocks emerge, other oak species appear: downy oaks and sessile oaks . Alder trees (black and gray alder) predominate in the vicinity of cuttings and watercourses .
Lake Maggiore
Sanctuary of the Trinity
Abraham's Chapel
Chapel of the Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Heaven
Way of the Cross in the arcade
Angels at Abraham's supper
Path in the nature reserve
bibliography
- AA.VV., Sacro Monte di Ghiffa. Arte e storia della SS. Trinità, Milano, 2000
- AA.VV., L'iconografia della SS. Trinità nel Sacro Monte di Ghiffa. Contesto e confronti, Ente di gestione della Riserva Naturale Speciale del Sacro Monte della SS.Trinità di Giffa, 2008
Individual evidence
- ^ "Iconografia della SS. Trinità nel Verbano - Cusio - Ossola", in AA.VV .. Sacro Monte di Ghiffa. Arte e storia della SS. Trinità, Milano, 2000
Web links
- Sacro Monte di Ghiffa Information of the Documentation Center of the European Sacri Monti
- Riserva Naturale Speciale del Sacro Monte della Ss. Trinità di Ghiffa (Italian)
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Coordinates: 45 ° 57 ′ 49 ″ N , 8 ° 36 ′ 54 ″ E