Photo: Stefano Bistolfi, Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
At a glance
- Type
- Museum
- Protection
- Part of UNESCO World Heritage Site
- UNESCO World Heritage
- Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy
- Coordinates
- 45°47′51″ N, 8°24′44″ E
- Address
- Via Sacro Monte, - Orta San Giulio
History and description
The Sacro Monte di Orta (literally: "Sacred Mountain of Orta") is a Roman Catholic devotional complex in the comune of Orta San Giulio (Piedmont, northern Italy) on the summit of a hill known as San Nicolao, on the eastern shore of Lake Orta. It is one of the Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy, included in UNESCO World Heritage list.
It is a stop-over on the CoEur devotional path.
Many of the artworks are of a high quality, some of the most highly thought of painters and sculptors of the period having been commissioned to produce them. The vegetation of the Sacred Mountain runs down to the shores of Lake Orta and was designed in line with ornamental criteria to match the architecture.
History
Construction of the complex, dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi, began in 1583. The project by the Capuchin friar Cleto da Castelletto Ticino involved 36 chapels, of which only 20 were built. Until 1630 they were mostly in the Mannerist style, but from the mid-17th century, Baroque and other influences predominated. Construction ended in 1788.
Text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Full article: «Holy Mountain of Orta».
Photos
Getting there
Orta-MiasinoTrain, nearest
700 m as the crow flies
Holy Mountain of OrtaVia Sacro Monte, - Orta San Giulio
Orta piazza500 m
Aeroporto internazionale Milano Malpensa "Silvio Berlusconi"30.6 km
Distances are as the crow flies, not walking or driving.
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Nearby
See on the mapMore museums in Piedmont
- UNESCO
Frequently asked questions
Where is Holy Mountain of Orta?
Holy Mountain of Orta is in Orta San Giulio, in the province of Novara (Piedmont), Italy. Address: Via Sacro Monte, - Orta San Giulio. GPS coordinates: 45.79743, 8.41224.
What else is there to see near Holy Mountain of Orta?
Nearby you’ll find: Villa Crespi (300 m away), Palazzo Gemelli (400 m away), Palazzo Penotti Ubertini (400 m away).
Sources and licences
Text. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Data. Wikidata (CC0); opening hours and contacts OpenStreetMap (ODbL).
Photos. Wikimedia Commons, author and licence on every image.
Credits for the 9 photos
- Sacro Monte di Orta cap.15 — Stefano Bistolfi, Public domain
- Orta cappella sacro monte — Cris*Milano, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Orta Sacro Monte - Eingangstor — Wolfgang Sauber, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Orta Sacro Monte Arco d'ingresso 1 — Torsade de Pointes, CC0
- Orta Sacro Monte Lapide Patrimonio mondiale — Torsade de Pointes, CC0
- Orta San Giulio - Sacro monte di Orta - 2023-09-06 18-54-32 001 — Betti1955, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Orta San Giulio - Sacro monte di Orta - 2023-09-06 18-55-12 001 — Betti1955, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Orta San Giulio - Sacro monte di Orta - 2023-09-06 18-55-43 001 — Betti1955, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Orta San Giulio - Sacro monte di Orta - 2023-09-06 18-56-17 001 — Betti1955, CC BY-SA 4.0
Updated 28 October 2026. All sources and licences