E4: Lake Orta 18th April

ORTA SAN GIULIO

Orta San Giulio is very pretty and largely unrenovated medieval village on the Eastern shore of Lake Orta (which is the Western most of the Italian lakes).  It is renowned for being one of the most romantic and original villages of all the lakes and at the top of the hill is the Sacro Monte di San Francesco, a tight little skein of 21 chapels dotted in a wooded parkland, built from the 1500’s to the 1700’s and still a devotional route followed by pilgrims.  Each chapel houses a tableau of painted life-size terracotta statues depicting a scene from the life of Saint Francis of Assisi.  This is a Unesco World Heritage site.

 

The ‘Sosta’ for camping cars is conveniently sited next to the Sacre Monte...

The view across the lake with Isola San Giulio, a wooded islet that is home to a closed community of nuns….

Isola San Giulio.  In order to quell the noise from ‘chattering tourists’ the Sisters have renamed the (only two) streets on the island, ‘The path of meditation’ and ‘The path of silence’ …..

Narrow cobbled streets and lovely pastel colours….

This is the broad stepped lane leading down to the Piazza from the 15th century Santa Maria Assunta baroque style church

The Piazza Motte, also know to the locals as ‘Salotto’ or ‘Drawing room'

2 of the 21 chapels in the Sacro Monte di San Francesco

The following three photo’s show the life size terracotta statues depicting various important events in St Francis’ life.  These scenes are very dramatic and theatrical in their staging.  To be honest the full impact can not really be captured photographically but you get the idea….

(is the demon on the left ‘phooning’ ?)