Points of Interest
History and Art
Monte Mesma
Monte Mesma, a hill reaching the 576
meters of height, is situated in the territory of the Municipality of
Ameno in the province of Novara.
On the summit of the hill there
are the 17th-century church and monastery, in front of which there is a
panoramic parvise with a centuries-old lime tree: from here you can
enjoy a charming view over Lago d'Orta and, in the distance, over the
Monte Rosa massif.
Further information (Italian text)
History of Sacro Monte di Orta
The monumental complex (Italian text)
Sacro Monte d'Orta is a devotional route made of twenty chapels painted
in fresco and completed by groups of life-size statues in terracotta
illustrating the life of San Francesco d'Assisi.
The building of the religious complex began in 1590 thanks to the
initiative of both the community of Orta and the abbot from Novara
Amico Canobio, and to other wills.
The activity in the building site of Sacro Monte d'Orta, in various stages, went on until the end of the 18th century.
The Chapels of Sacro Monte (Italian text)
| Chapel I | Birth of St. Francis |
| Chapel II | The Crucifix talks to St. Francis in the Church of San Damiano |
| Chapel III | St. Francis renounces his goods in front of the Bishop of Assisi |
| Chapel IV | St. Francis listens to the Mass |
| Chapel V | Clothing of the first followers of St. Francis |
| Chapel VI | St. Francis sends the first disciples to preach. First miracles performed by them. |
| Chapel VII | The approval of the Franciscan Rules by Pope Innocenzo III |
| Chapel VIII | St. Francis appears to the friars on a fire carriage |
| Chapel IX | Clothing of St. Clare |
| Chapel X | St. Francis' victory over temptations |
| Chapel XI | St. Francis receives from Jesus the privilege of the indulgence of Porziuncola |
| Chapel XII | Christ approves the Franciscan Rules |
| Chapel XIII | St. Francis, for his humility, lets himself be led naked along the streets of Assisi |
| Chapel XIV | St. Francis and the Egyptian sultan |
| Chapel XV | St. Francis receives stigmata in La Verna |
| Chapel XVI | St. Francis goes back to Assisi from La Verna before dying |
| Chapel XVII | St. Francis' death |
| Chapel XVIII | Nicolò III, a Bishop and the secretary on the grave of the Saint |
| Chapel XIX | The miracles on the sepulcher of the Saint |
| Chapel XX | The canonization of St. Francis |
| New Chapel |
Church of San Nicolao (Italian text)
Further architectural structures (Italian text)
| St Francis Small Chapel (Italian text)
Main artists operating in Sacro Monte (Italian text) |
Colle della Torre di Buccione
Situated on a hill
dominating the southern stretch of lake Orta, the tower of Buccione was
part of a larger outpost of which only a few traces remain.
The
first document referring to the "Castle" of Buccione dates back to
1200, while there are contrasting opinions on its origins, between the
10th and 12th century.
The 23-meter height tower worked as a
watchtower, and it is divided inside into three wooden scaffolds
allowing the housing by the garrison.
Further information (Italian text)
