Sacro Monte di Graglia
The Sacro Monte of Graglia is a pilgrimage site in Graglia in the province of Biella ( Piedmont ), a few kilometers west of the provincial capital, Biella . The site, which belongs to the Sacri Monti , lies below the summit of the Mombarone, almost on the border with the Aosta Valley . A pilgrimage church rises here (690 m above sea level), which is dedicated to Our Lady of Loreto .
history
The priest Andrea Velotti, who was pastor of Graglia in 1605, wanted to have an image of the holy places in Piedmont built on his return from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land . In 1615 he explained the project that he had dedicated to the memorial of St. Charles Borromeo wanted to consecrate it, in a text with copperplate engravings that appeared in Milan: The plan was to build no fewer than one hundred chapels with terracotta statues, which would be devoted to a variety of biblical themes from the story of creation to the life of Jesus Christ. The plan included an extensive area stretching from Campra to the hill of St. Charles Borromeo (San Carlo) reached and comprised several hills that were to be named after mountains mentioned in the Bible. The project began in 1616 and continued with great commitment over a period of about eight years; At least ten square chapels were built during this period, mainly on the path on the north slope. With the death of Don Velotti in 1624, the project came to a standstill for the time being.
Under the parish priest Agostino Dal Pozzo from Ponderano , the work was resumed and an imposing pilgrimage church with attached pilgrims' accommodation was built, which was to be consecrated to Our Lady of Loreto. Charles Emanuel II of Savoy was also enthusiastic about the project , who sent the court's military engineer, Pietro Arduzzi, and financed the company. Work began in 1654 after the design of a central building that was to house a scaled-down image of the Holy House of Loreto.
Under the direction of Don Giovanni Tua di Galfiones from Occhieppo Superiore , the work was first intensified in 1659, but then interrupted due to wars, famines and epidemics. In 1684 four chapels were completed, the first two depictions of the Nativity and the Adoration of the Magi , which Francesco Pozzi made of terracotta. The other two chapels contained representations of the Lord's offering in the temple and the circumcision of the Lord by the sculptor Carlo Pagano and the painter Prospero Antonio Placco, who also created the two side altarpieces in the church.
Outside in the small courtyard, two sundials and a stone fountain were built. From 1760 the construction of the pilgrimage church under the direction of the new pastor Carlo Gastaldi experienced a new upswing, which lasted until its completion in 1769. The sanctuary was completed between 1760 and 1769 by the architect Bernardo Antonio Vittone, who kept the plan of the Greek cross with the dimensions 44 by 33 meters. The pilgrimage church is characterized by its strictly structured facade made of exposed bricks, which contrasts with the magnificent baroque decoration inside. The Marian chapel was decorated with a statue of Our Lady. The architecture of the dome with a smaller dome above it (total height 38 m) was painted by Fabrizio Galliari in 1780 with frescoes using the trompe-l'oeil technique. The altarpiece with the death of St. Joseph was executed by Mauro Picinardi in 1785.
In 1788 the replica of the Holy House of Loreto was moved from the center of the church to the choir . In 1828 the previous chapel with depictions of the child murder in Bethlehem was moved to the left of the presbytery. The imposing main altar was erected in 1831, the work of Perratone and Catella from Lugano, and in 1839 the organ was installed, the work of Felice Bossi from Bergamo. Later extensions and decorations followed.
Ten chapels remind of the original project for the Sacro Monte of Graglia. Six chapels on the hill of San Carlo, which probably contained the scenes on the Calvary , have meanwhile disintegrated. The church on San Carlo contained a Descent from the Cross , which was destroyed in World War II. The chapel with the statues of St. Karl Borromeo in prayer before the body of Christ. The representations of the other four chapels, which show episodes of Christ's childhood, were brought to the basilica and thus saved from decay.
Web links
Coordinates: 45 ° 33 ′ 40.3 ″ N , 7 ° 57 ′ 22 ″ E