Despite the territory of the Reserve has been deeply modified by man
because of years of gradual abandonment, the forest has slowly covered
again the area, and the floristic element has been enriched with 421
different species.
Within the sacred enclosure, the natural
environment is deeply influenced by man and has assumed the aspect of a
Renaissance garden: a small organ-pipe beech tree forest and some
centuries-old specimens of box-trees, yews, ilexes, and smooth-leaved
elms are of great interest.
The presence of characteristic pre-mountain bird species is not particularly significant because of the strong human presence.
Sacro Monte di Varallo is managed by a regional authority called Riserva Naturale Speciale del Sacro Monte di Varallo.
Riserva Naturale Speciale del Sacro Monte di Varallo was established by Regione Piemonte with law n° 28 of 30th April 1980 in order to safeguard the environmental and landscape features of Sacro Monte, guarantee the recovery and preservation of the historical-religious complex, and favor its use with scientific, cultural, and educational purposes.