The Catholic Pilgrim's Guide to Oropa, Italy

Alpine sanctuary rising at 1,159 meters in the Biellese Alps, home to the Black Madonna venerated since the 4th century and crowned every 100 years since 1620.

High in the Biellese Alps, at 1,159 meters above sea level, rises the most important Marian sanctuary in the entire Alpine arc. The Sanctuary of Oropa (Santuario di Oropa) has drawn pilgrims to its mountain valley for over sixteen centuries, where a mysterious Black Madonna watches from an ancient chapel that legend traces to a fleeing bishop, a miraculous statue, and a cave in the rock. Today, some 800,000 pilgrims and visitors ascend these heights annually, making Oropa one of Italy's most visited pilgrimage destinations. The monumental complex that greets modern pilgrims is vast—three terraced courtyards enclosing baroque cloisters, a majestic 17th-century basilica, royal apartments of the House of Savoy, and a soaring 20th-century church with an 80-meter dome. Yet the heart of Oropa remains intimate: a small chapel called the Sacellum, where a wooden Madonna with dark face and hands presides as she has for seven centuries. Surrounding the sanctuary, the UNESCO-protected Sacro Monte features twelve chapels with life-sized terracotta figures depicting the life of the Virgin. Whether you come as a devoted pilgrim, a lover of alpine landscapes, or a seeker of Italy's artistic heritage, Oropa offers something profound: a place where mountain, faith, and centuries of human devotion converge beneath the snow-capped peaks of Monte Mucrone.

📜 History & Spiritual Significance

The founding legend of Oropa reaches back to the 4th century and the figure of Saint Eusebius of Vercelli, the first bishop of nearby Vercelli and a champion of orthodox faith against the Arian heresy. According to tradition, Eusebius discovered a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary in Jerusalem—one of three carved by Saint Luke the Evangelist—and carried it back to his diocese. When persecution by local Arians forced him to flee into the mountains, he placed the sacred image in a cave among the rocks. When believers later attempted to move the statue to a more accessible location, its weight miraculously increased—a sign interpreted as the Virgin's will that her sanctuary remain in this mountain refuge. The first written documents mentioning Oropa date only to the 13th century, referring to simple chapels dedicated to Saints Mary and Bartholomew that served travelers crossing to the nearby Aosta Valley. The current Black Madonna, whatever its ultimate origins, is dated by art historians to the late 13th or early 14th century, the refined work of an anonymous sculptor from the Valle d'Aosta. The statue is carved from cedarwood and stands 132 centimeters tall, depicting the Presentation of Jesus: Mary holds coins for the Temple offering while the Child clasps a sacrificial dove. Oropa's transformation from mountain hermitage to monumental sanctuary began after the plague of 1599, when the people of Biella made a solemn vow to the Virgin. Spared from the epidemic, they built the Basilica Antica (Ancient Basilica) around the original Sacellum. On August 30, 1620, the Black Madonna received her first solemn coronation—an event repeated every century since, on the last Sunday of August, marking Oropa as one of the few sanctuaries where centenary coronations are a living tradition. The 17th and 18th centuries saw massive expansion under the patronage of the House of Savoy. The architect Filippo Juvarra designed the magnificent Royal Gate (Porta Regia), while royal apartments, a vast library, and pilgrim lodgings transformed the complex into a small city. The Sacro Monte, begun in 1617, was completed with twelve chapels housing sculptural groups that tell Mary's story from the Immaculate Conception to her Coronation in Heaven. The New Basilica (Basilica Nuova or Basilica Superiore), begun in 1885 and finally consecrated in 1960, can accommodate 3,000 worshippers beneath its immense dome. Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, the young Turin mountaineer whose cause for canonization has drawn worldwide attention, had a profound devotion to Our Lady of Oropa. From the family villa in nearby Pollone, he regularly made the steep six-mile hike to pray before the "Brown Madonna," often arriving at dawn with flowers from the family garden. "Tomorrow, as is my custom every time I leave Pollone, I'll go up to Oropa to pray in the Holy Shrine," he wrote to a friend in 1925. "I'll remember you at the feet of the brown Madonna." His portrait now hangs in a side chapel of the Ancient Basilica, and the Frassati-John Paul II Path connects Pollone to the sanctuary. The fifth centenary coronation took place on August 29, 2021, with Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re serving as Papal Legate. For the occasion, 15,000 pieces of fabric donated by the faithful were sewn into a 25-meter "Mantle of Mercy" now displayed in the Ancient Basilica.

☩ Pilgrimage Sites in Oropa

The Sanctuary of Oropa unfolds across three ascending courtyards connected by stairways and passages. The complex includes not only the religious structures but also thirteen restaurants, accommodations with over 300 rooms, a botanical garden, hiking trails, and a cable car to the alpine heights.

1. Basilica Antica & Sacellum of St. Eusebius

Local Name (Italian): Basilica Antica e Sacello di Sant'Eusebio Dedication: Our Lady of Oropa (Black Madonna) Website: santuariodioropa.it Description / Highlights: The spiritual heart of Oropa is the 17th-century Ancient Basilica, which encloses the original Sacellum—a small 9th-century chapel built directly over the cave where Saint Eusebius supposedly placed the Madonna. The façade, designed by architect Francesco Conti, features elegant greenish Oropa stone, and the portal bears the Savoy coat of arms with the inscription "O quam Beatus, o Beata, quem viderint oculi tui" ("O how Blessed, O Blessed One, is Him Whom Thy eyes have seen"). Inside the Sacellum, 14th-century frescoes by an anonymous artist known as the Maestro di Oropa depict the Virgin and saints once venerated in the ancient hermitage. The Black Madonna herself sits within the chapel, her dark face framed by a blue mantle, golden dress, and successive coronation crowns. Tradition holds that dust never settles on the faces of Mary and the Child—a claim verified ceremonially each November. Pilgrims touch the Virgin's foot, which remains remarkably unworn despite centuries of veneration. The Treasury Museum and Ex-Voto Gallery, accessible from the basilica, preserve centuries of pilgrim offerings including the oldest ex-voto painting dating to 1522 by artist Bernardino Lanino. Address: Via Santuario di Oropa 480, 13900 Oropa BI, Italy GPS Coordinates: 45.6260, 7.9824 Google Maps: View Map What3Words: TO BE UPDATED

2. Basilica Superiore (Upper Basilica)

Local Name (Italian): Basilica Nuova / Basilica Superiore Dedication: Blessed Virgin Mary Website: santuariodioropa.it Description / Highlights: Dominating the third courtyard, the monumental Upper Basilica was constructed between 1885 and 1960 to accommodate the ever-increasing number of pilgrims. The first stone was laid in 1885, but construction proceeded slowly; the church was finally consecrated in 1960. The building can hold 3,000 people beneath an 80-meter dome that can be seen from across the Biellese plain. The Chapel of St. Eusebius within the Upper Basilica hosts daily Mass. From the esplanade before the church, spectacular views open across the mountain amphitheater toward Monte Mucrone. The Royal Apartments of the House of Savoy, designed in part by the great Baroque architect Filippo Juvarra, are now a museum showcasing rich furnishings and religious artifacts accumulated over centuries of royal patronage. The magnificent Royal Gate (Porta Regia) leads into the first courtyard. Address: Via Santuario di Oropa 480, 13900 Oropa BI, Italy GPS Coordinates: 45.6265, 7.9830 Google Maps: View Map What3Words: TO BE UPDATED

3. Sacro Monte di Oropa (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

Local Name (Italian): Sacro Monte di Oropa Dedication: Life of the Virgin Mary Website: sacrimonti.org Description / Highlights: Construction of the Sacred Mount began in 1617, shortly before the first coronation of the Black Madonna. Twelve principal chapels zigzag up the grassy slope called the Oretto hill, their interiors containing life-sized polychrome terracotta statues and frescoes depicting scenes from Mary's life—from the Immaculate Conception to the Crowning of Mary in Heaven. The sculptors Giovanni and Melchiorre d'Enrico, along with Pietro Giuseppe Auregio and the Galliari family of painters, created theatrical tableaux that remain remarkably vivid after four centuries. The Nativity chapel features one of the oldest and finest nativity scenes in Piedmont. Five additional chapels dedicated to saints and the tradition of the sanctuary line the approach road from Biella. The Cappella del Roc marks the spot where tradition holds Saint Eusebius first hid the Madonna among the rocks. The entire complex was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003 as part of the Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy. Allow 1.5 hours for the chapel circuit. West of the Sacro Monte lies the Cimitero Monumentale di Oropa, a symbolic alpine necropolis built in the 19th century. Address: Accessible from the road to the Sanctuary, left side before arriving GPS Coordinates: 45.6248, 7.9782 Google Maps: View Map What3Words: TO BE UPDATED

4. Mucrone Cable Car & Lake Mucrone

Local Name (Italian): Funivia Oropa-Lago Mucrone Dedication: N/A (Natural site) Website: funivieoropa.it Description / Highlights: Near the Upper Basilica, a cable car ascends to the Rosazza Mountain Refuge and Hotel Savoia at 1,900 meters. From there, a 15-minute walk leads to Lake Mucrone (Lago del Mucrone), a crystal-clear alpine lake beneath the summit of Monte Mucrone (2,388 m). The views across the Biella area extend as far as Turin and Milan on clear days. More ambitious hikers can continue to the peak of Monte Mucrone for panoramic vistas of the entire Alpine arc. This was the landscape that captured the heart of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, who combined his pilgrimages to the Madonna with his passion for mountaineering. Over 300 hiking routes of varying difficulty radiate from the sanctuary into the surrounding Riserva Naturale Speciale del Sacro Monte di Oropa, a protected natural area of 1,518 hectares. Address: Piazzale Funivie, 13900 Oropa BI, Italy GPS Coordinates: 45.6270, 7.9835 Google Maps: View Map What3Words: TO BE UPDATED

🕯️ Annual Feast Days & Celebrations

October 29 – Feast of Our Lady of Oropa Ancient Basilica. The annual local feast honoring the Madonna of Oropa with special Masses and pilgrimages from surrounding communities. The town of Biella maintains an annual pilgrimage of thanksgiving dating to their deliverance from the 17th-century plague.

🛏️ Where to Stay

Sanctuary of Oropa Guest Accommodations 📍 Address: Via Santuario di Oropa 480, 13900 Oropa BI, Italy 🌐 Website: santuariodioropa.it The sanctuary offers over 300 rooms ranging from simple pilgrim accommodations to comfortable suites. Options include Host rooms, Comfort rooms, Junior Suites, Superior Junior Suites, and Suites. Staying within the complex allows early morning visits to the Madonna before crowds arrive. Hotel Croce Bianca Oropa 📍 Address: Via Santuario di Oropa, 13900 Oropa BI, Italy 🌐 Website: crocebiancaoropa.it Traditional hotel adjacent to the sanctuary with restaurant serving Piedmontese cuisine. Hotel Savoia – Rifugio Rosazza 📍 Address: Monte Mucrone, accessible via cable car, 13900 Oropa BI, Italy Mountain refuge at 1,900 meters for those wishing to combine pilgrimage with alpine adventure. Basic but atmospheric accommodations with spectacular views. Agora Palace Hotel ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 📍 Address: Via Lamarmora 13/A, 13900 Biella BI, Italy 🔗 Booking: Book on Booking.com Modern four-star hotel in Biella city center, 13 km from the sanctuary. Hotel Augustus ⭐⭐⭐ 📍 Address: Via Italia 54, 13900 Biella BI, Italy Comfortable mid-range option near Biella train station, convenient for those arriving by rail.

🚗 Getting There

By Air: The nearest major airports are Turin-Caselle (80 km) and Milan-Malpensa (100 km). Both have rental car facilities and connections to Biella. By Train: Take a train to Biella San Paolo station. The regional line connects through Novara or Santhià on the Turin-Milan route. By Bus: From Biella San Paolo station, ATAP bus line 360 runs to Oropa Sanctuary approximately every hour (journey time ~40 minutes, 25 stops). By Car: From Turin: Take the A4 motorway toward Milan, exit at Carisio, then follow signs to Biella and Oropa (SP144). From Milan: Take the A4 toward Turin, exit at Carisio. From Biella: Follow Via Santuario d'Oropa (SP144), approximately 13 km (25 minutes) with scenic mountain bends. Large free parking is available in front of the sanctuary. Camper van facilities with services are located near the cable car.

📚 Further Reading

Books:

  • Christine M. Wohar, Finding Frassati: And Following His Path to Holiness (Sophia Institute Press) – Includes chapters on Frassati's devotion to Our Lady of Oropa.
  • Maria Di Lorenzo, The Sacred Mounts of Piedmont and Lombardy – Comprehensive guide to all nine UNESCO-listed Sacri Monti including Oropa.
  • Various authors, Guida alle Cappelle del Sacro Monte di Oropa – Detailed chapel-by-chapel guide (Italian).

Articles & Online Resources:

🎥 Recommended Videos

🔗 Useful Links

💡 Nearby Pilgrimage Destinations

  • Sanctuary of Graglia (25 km) – 17th-century Marian shrine with Sacro Monte dedicated to the life of Christ.
  • Turin (95 km) – Home to the Holy Shroud, the Consolata Shrine, and the church where St. John Bosco is enshrined.
  • Sacro Monte di Varallo (50 km) – The oldest and largest of the Piedmontese Sacred Mountains, with 44 chapels depicting the life of Christ.
  • Sacro Monte di Orta (45 km) – Beautiful Sacred Mountain on the shores of Lake Orta, dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi.

Pilgrim Routes

  • Frassati-John Paul II Path: Connects Pollone to Oropa (approximately 10 km), following the route Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati regularly walked.
  • Oropa Way (Cammino di Oropa): A multi-stage pilgrimage route crossing the Biellese and Canavese regions via UNESCO sites, sanctuaries, and nature reserves.
  • Fontainemore-Oropa Pilgrimage: Ancient night pilgrimage crossing the Colle della Barma pass (over 2,000 m) from Fontainemore in the Lys Valley—held every 5 years since the 16th century. Next pilgrimage: 2027.

Inspiration

"Crossing the mountains, pilgrims have come here for centuries to venerate the Virgin and to seek in this sanctuary a place of peace and meditation. Dear young people listening to me, may you also discover, like Pier Giorgio, the way to the shrine, embarking on a spiritual journey that, under the guidance of Mary, will bring you ever closer to Christ." — Saint John Paul II, Address at the Sanctuary of Oropa, July 16, 1989