Sacro Monte di Varallo

The religious site of Sacro Monte di Varallo was built by making use of the distinctive physical features of the landscape, which in this case bear witness to glacial expansion in Valsesia.

A glacial terrace (indicated by the red circle in the image) represents the ancient valley floor formed by the erosive action of the glacier, running parallel to the valley axis, both during its advance and retreat. Following the retreat of the glacier tongue, the valley floor was eroded by the river, sparing only a few sections (Unipiano, Sassiglioni, Crevola) at an altitude of around 600 metres, from which it can be deduced that the erosion caused by the Sesia River has carved out a depth of no less than 150 metres in the ancient glacial valley floor.

The significance of this site also lies in the fact that, within just a few metres, it brings together the most important ornamental stones of the Valsesia: beola from Rimella, green stone from Cilimo, marble from Parone, and stone from Loreto. A quarry, used for the production of calcium, is situated near the Sanctuary.