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The Sacred Mountain of Varallo (Sacro Monte di Varallo) is the oldest of the Sacri Monti, founded in 1491 by Franciscan friar Bernardino Caimi. Located 600 meters above sea level on Monte Tre Croci, it overlooks Varallo Sesia in Piedmont and is part of the UNESCO-listed Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy.
The complex includes a basilica and 45 chapels filled with over 800 life-sized painted statues in wood and terracotta, vividly depicting scenes from the life, passion, and resurrection of Christ, enhanced by detailed frescoes.
Divided into two zones, the lower section is a landscaped path beginning with Genesis stories, while the upper area, modeled after Jerusalem, features elaborate buildings and squares housing scenes like the Last Supper, Crucifixion, and Resurrection.
Over the centuries (15th–19th), artists including Gaudenzio Ferrari, Giovanni and Tanzio d’Enrico, Morazzone, and others helped develop the site into a powerful visual narrative of Christ’s life—intended as a “Jerusalem for those who could not travel.”
References:The Broch of Clickimin is a large and well preserved, though somewhat restored broch near Lerwick. Originally built on an island in Clickimin Loch (now increased in size by silting and drainage), it was approached by a stone causeway. The water-level in the loch was reduced in 1874, leaving the broch high and dry. The broch is situated within a walled enclosure and, unusually for brochs, features a large 'blockhouse' between the opening in the enclosure and the broch itself. Another unusual feature is a stone slab featuring sculptured footprints, located in the causeway which approached the site. Situated across the loch is the Clickimin Leisure Centre.