The Catholic Pilgrim's Guide to Orta San Giulio, Italy

On a wooded promontory reaching into Lake Orta, the medieval village of Orta San Giulio has drawn pilgrims for over sixteen centuries. The attraction is twofold: on the hilltop above the village rises the Sacro Monte di Orta, a UNESCO World Heritage devotional complex dedicated entirely to St. Francis of Assisi; just offshore, the tiny Isola di San Giulio guards the tomb of the fourth-century saint who evangelized these shores by sailing across the lake on his cloak. The two sites form a striking dialogue. The Sacro Monte unfolds the life of Francis through twenty chapels filled with over 370 terracotta statues and 900 frescoes—a "Great Mountain Theater" conceived during the Counter-Reformation to make the story of the Poor Man of Assisi visible to ordinary pilgrims. The island basilica, by contrast, predates the Sacro Monte by a millennium: here St. Julius built his hundredth church around 390, and here his bones have rested ever since in a glass casket beneath the Romanesque altar. The Benedictine nuns of the Mater Ecclesiae Abbey, who have inhabited the island since 1973, maintain the contemplative atmosphere that has characterized this place since Julius first commanded the serpents to depart. Their famous pane di San Giulio—bread baked for the saint's feast day on January 31—draws visitors who come for the food but stay for the silence. 📜 History & Spiritual Significance The history of Orta San Giulio begins with a Greek priest fleeing his homeland. Around 330, Julius was born in Aegina. Ordained alongside his brother Julian, he obtained imperial permission from Theodosius I to convert pagan temples into churches. The brothers traveled through northern Italy, founding churches wherever they went—ninety-nine in total. For his hundredth church, Julius sought an island in Lake Orta. No boatman would take him: the island was believed to be infested with serpents and dragons—symbols of the paganism that still clung to the remote lakeshore. According to the Dialogues tradition, Julius spread his cloak upon the water, grasped his staff, and sailed across. Upon landing, he commanded the serpents to depart in God's name. They obeyed, slithering to a distant mountain. Julius built a church dedicated to the Twelve Apostles on the island's summit. He died around 401 and was buried within its walls. The present Romanesque basilica, constructed in the twelfth century over earlier foundations, incorporates elements of Julius's original church. Archaeological excavations have revealed traces of a fifth-century basilica beneath the current structure. The island's strategic position made it a prize during medieval conflicts. In 962, Emperor Otto I besieged the fortress where Queen Willa, wife of the Italian King Berengar II, had taken refuge with the kingdom's treasury. The siege lasted two months. When Willa surrendered, Otto held a baptism in the basilica for William of Volpiano, born on the island during the conflict, who would become the great Benedictine reformer venerated as a saint. The Sacro Monte above the village arose from the Counter-Reformation impulse to make Catholic doctrine tangible. In 1583, the Ortese community resolved to build a devotional complex modeled on the older Sacro Monte of Varallo. The Capuchin architect Cleto da Castelletto Ticino designed the project, originally envisioning thirty-six chapels. Bishop Carlo Bescapé of Novara guided construction from 1593 to 1615, establishing the sequence of scenes and architectural principles. The artists who decorated the chapels included some of the finest Lombard masters: Morazzone, the Fiammenghini brothers, Cristoforo Prestinari, and Dionigi Bussola. Their 370 life-sized terracotta statues achieve a striking naturalism—the same sculptors who worked on Milan's Duomo applied their skills here. The frescoes, numbering over 900, create theatrical backdrops that extend each chapel's narrative beyond its walls. The devotional path culminates at the Church of San Nicolao, remodeled in the seventeenth century to evoke the Lower Basilica of Assisi, where Francis lies buried. This architectural echo reinforces the Sacro Monte's central theme: Orta has become the "Assisi of the North," offering pilgrims who cannot journey south an encounter with Franciscan spirituality in its fullness. ☩ Pilgrimage Sites Basilica di San Giulio Isola di San Giulio, 28016 Orta San Giulio NO 45.7961, 8.3997 • Google Maps https://benedettineisolasangiulio.org Dedication: St. Julius of Novara The twelfth-century Romanesque basilica rises from the island's summit, its twin bell towers visible from the mainland. The interior reveals layer upon layer of devotion: the nave and aisles are covered with groin vaults, while the walls display frescoes spanning from the fourteenth to the nineteenth century. The precious Romanesque ambon, carved from green serpentine marble and supported by four ancient columns, depicts the Four Evangelists and scenes of struggle between good and evil. In the crypt beneath the high altar, the remains of St. Julius rest in a glass casket, surrounded by early Christian archaeological finds including a marble slab decorated with peacocks and palm trees from the saint's original cenotaph. Sacro Monte di Orta Località Sacro Monte, 28016 Orta San Giulio NO 45.7983, 8.4233 • Google Maps https://www.sacrimonti.org/en/sacro-monte-di-orta Dedication: St. Francis of Assisi The UNESCO World Heritage devotional complex comprises twenty chapels (of the thirty-six originally planned) distributed along a spiral path through a thirteen-hectare natural reserve. Each chapel presents an episode from the life of St. Francis through life-sized painted terracotta statues and frescoes. The path begins at Chapel 1 depicting Francis's birth and culminates at the Church of San Nicolao, rebuilt in the seventeenth century to recall the Lower Basilica of Assisi. Inside the church, a fifteenth-century wooden sculpture of Our Lady of Mercy (Mater Misericordiae) presides over the devotional route's conclusion. Notable chapels include Chapel 15, completed in 1594 and showing Francis receiving the stigmata on Mount La Verna, and Chapel 12, among the oldest in the complex. The final chapel constructed, Chapel 14, was completed in 1757 and displays the late Baroque style that marks the Sacro Monte's final phase. The "New Chapel," designed in 1788 to depict scenes from the Canticle of the Creatures, was never completed and now hosts temporary exhibitions. Chiesa Parrocchiale di Santa Maria Assunta The parish church at the entrance to the Sacro Monte path, featuring Baroque elements and serving as the gateway between village and sacred mountain. Via del Silenzio (Way of Silence) The circular path around the island displays meditative plaques in four languages, inviting pilgrims to embrace the contemplative character of this place. The Benedictine nuns of Mater Ecclesiae Abbey request silence from all visitors as they pass the cloistered areas where nearly eighty sisters live in prayer. Mater Ecclesiae Abbey Founded in 1973 when Bishop Aldo Del Monte invited Benedictine nuns from the Abbey of Viboldone to establish a monastery in the former diocesan seminary. The community, which has grown to approximately eighty members, maintains a textile restoration workshop connected to Florence's Opificio delle Pietre Dure, specializing in the conservation of ancient liturgical vestments. The abbey offers hospitality to pilgrims seeking retreat—women only, with monastic hours beginning at 4:00 AM. 🕯️ Feast Days & Annual Celebrations Feast of St. Julius (January 31) The principal celebration honoring the island's patron saint, when the Benedictine nuns prepare the traditional pane di San Giulio—walnut and chocolate bread—according to an ancient recipe. Solemn liturgies at the basilica draw pilgrims from throughout the diocese. Feast of St. Francis of Assisi (October 4) Celebrated at both the Sacro Monte and the Church of San Nicolao, marking the anniversary of Francis's death in 1226. Pilgrims walk the devotional path in greater numbers, reflecting on the saint's life depicted in the twenty chapels. 🚶 Getting There By Air Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) lies 42 kilometers southeast. A combination of shuttle and regional train reaches Orta-Miasino station in approximately ninety minutes. By Train Orta-Miasino station, on the Novara-Domodossola line, sits 2 kilometers from the village center. The walk to Piazza Motta takes approximately twenty-five minutes along Via Marconi. By Car From the A26 motorway, exit at Borgomanero (from the south) or Gravellona Toce (from the north) and follow signs toward Orta San Giulio via SP229. The Sacro Monte has limited car parking (cars only; no campervans or buses) with pay-and-display from 9:00 to 24:00 at €2/hour or €10/day. Reaching the Island Motorboat taxis and the Navigazione Lago d'Orta ferry service depart from Piazza Motta. The crossing takes approximately five minutes. Service ends at 18:00, after which the island returns to monastic silence. 🛏️ Where to Stay Monastic Hospitality Mater Ecclesiae Abbey offers retreat accommodation for women seeking to share in the monastic rhythm of prayer. Guests participate in the Divine Office, with the first prayers at 4:00 AM. Contact the monastery directly for availability. Hotels 4-Star Hotel San Rocco • Booking.com: hotel-san-rocco A renovated sixteenth-century monastery on the lakeshore with swimming pool and views toward San Giulio Island. 3-Star Hotel La Bussola • Booking.com: hotel-la-bussola Set on the promontory overlooking the lake and island, with garden and outdoor pool. Hotel Leon d'Oro • Booking.com: hotel-leon-d-oro Located in the historic center near Piazza Motta, steps from the island ferry. Hotel Bocciolo • Booking.com: hotel-bocciolo A short walk from the lake with views toward the Sacro Monte. 📚 Further Reading M. Di Giovanni Madruzza, Isola di San Giulio – Comprehensive study of the island's history and art published by Istituto Bancario San Paolo. Anna Maria Cànopi OSB, Basilica di San Giulio: Abbazia Mater Ecclesiae – Guide to the basilica by the founding abbess of the Benedictine community. Franco Cardini, Andare per le Gerusalemme d'Italia – Exploration of Italy's Sacred Mountains as "Renaissance versions of the Holy Mountain." 🔗 Useful Links Sacri Monti Management Authority – Official site for UNESCO Sacred Mountains of Piedmont and Lombardy with opening times and guided tour information. Mater Ecclesiae Abbey – Official site of the Benedictine community with retreat information. Navigazione Lago d'Orta – Ferry schedules and motorboat taxi bookings for reaching San Giulio Island. Orta San Giulio Municipality – Local government site with visitor information. 🧭 Nearby Destinations Sacro Monte di Varallo (30 km north) The oldest and largest of the Piedmontese Sacred Mountains, founded in 1491 by Franciscan friar Bernardino Caimi as a "New Jerusalem" for pilgrims unable to reach the Holy Land. Sacro Monte di Ghiffa (25 km northeast) Dedicated to the Holy Trinity, this smaller Sacro Monte overlooks Lake Maggiore with three chapels and the Sanctuary of the Holy Trinity. Sacro Monte di Varese (50 km east) Fourteen chapels depicting the Mysteries of the Rosary along a two-kilometer cobbled path ascending to the Sanctuary of Santa Maria del Monte. Stresa and the Borromean Islands (30 km east) Lake Maggiore's famous islands, including Isola Bella with its Baroque palazzo and Isola dei Pescatori with its medieval fishing village atmosphere. 🪶 Closing Reflection

"With Francis, the saint who breathed the air of these hills and walked the streets of this town, let us fix our gaze on the mystery of the Cross, the tree of salvation sprinkled with the redeeming blood of Christ."

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— Pope John Paul II, Assisi, January 24, 2002