Sanctuary of Oropa
The Sanctuary of Oropa is the largest Marian sanctuary in the Biellese area, dedicated to the Black Madonna; its Sacro Monte has been part of the UNESCO site of the Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy since 2003.[1][2]
Origins
By tradition, its origins date back to the 4th century and to Saint Eusebius, the first bishop of Vercelli.[3] Between the 8th and 9th centuries a small hermit's chapel stood here; at the end of the 13th century Bishop Aimone di Challant consecrated a new church and donated a statue of the Black Madonna, a 13th-century wooden sculpture carved from Swiss pine.[1][4]
The Sanctuary
In 1599, after the plague, a larger church was built, today known as the Old Basilica; between 1617 and 1620 the Capuchin friar Fedele da San Germano designed the Sacro Monte with its 25 chapels, completed around 1720, and in 1725 Filippo Juvarra built the new entrance gate.[1] The Upper Basilica, designed by Ignazio Amedeo Galletti, had its foundation stone laid in 1885 and was consecrated in 1960; its dome rises 80 metres high.[5] The Museum of Treasures and the Savoy royal apartments preserve jewels, vestments and documents.[3]
The Coronations
The statue was solemnly crowned on 30 August 1620 and then once every hundred years, in 1720, 1820 and 1920, when around 150,000 people took part; the fifth coronation was held on 29 August 2021.[4][3]
Today
From January to August 2026 the sanctuary's facilities recorded 19,071 overnight stays, a slight increase over 2025.[6] The cable car to Lake Mucrone has been out of service since December 2021: the estimated cost of putting it back into operation has risen to 12.5 million euros, and the tender is expected in autumn 2026.[7]
Related articles: Sacro Monte di Varallo
Pages linking here
Sources
- Sacri Monti
- Ente di gestione dei Sacri Monti
- Santuario di Oropa
- Santuario di Oropa — 21 March 2019
- Santuario di Oropa
- Newsbiella — 23 September 2026
- Newsbiella — 22 July 2026