To the Sacro Monte di Orta
Above Lake Orta a wonderful oasis of peace and spirituality The Sacro Monte of Orta stands on the hill that rises in the centre of the peninsula of Orta San Giulio, located on the eastern shore of Lake Orta. The twenty chapels of Sacro Monte narrate the life of St Francis of Assisi in a path that spirals up the hill and shows the most salient moments of his life, from his birth to his canonisation. From Orta San Giulio, along the “Motta” slope, you come to Casa Marangoni (now Capuani), the oldest house in the municipality, as it dates back to the 14th century, nicknamed the “House of the Dwarfs”; Palazzo Gemelli, a 16th-century dwelling, and the parish church of Santa Maria Assunta, anticipated by a 17th-century prothyrum. Reaching the top of the hill, one can enjoy a remarkable open view of the lake and the island of San Giulio. The grandiose monumental arch and the Pilone di San Francesco allow the entrance to the devotional path immersed in vegetation. ...