Sanctuary and Natural Park Sacro Monte di Crea

Dedicated to the mysteries of the Rosary, It was designed in 1589 According to reconstruct topographically the Holy places of Jerusalem.

The Sacro Monte di Crea It is located on one of the highest hills of Monferrato, in and around Serralunga di Crea, in the province of Alexandria. Winds along a path, in a forest of Oaks and ashes, climbs between the roughness of a crumbly rocky ground until you reach the chapel of paradise, at the top of the Hill.

Like the other Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy, also Creates is located in a vast Natural Park, fascinating synthesis of landscape, art and historical memory, that is the figure of interpretation.

The history of the Sacro Monte di Crea, begins with that of the convent and Church of Santa Maria, devotional pilgrimage destination since Middle Ages. The tradition, Maybe not devoid of historical foundations, want to have Sant'Eusebio, Bishop of Vercelli, to climb the hill towards the 350 A.D.; There would bring the wooden statue of the Madonna and child, still revered and there would build a first oratory. In fact the statue of the Madonna is from the 13th century and little is known about his origin. Fact is that around the year 1000 already existed a convent that had settled the canons regular of Vezzolano.

The sanctuary of Crea was already an important place of worship when in 1156, the Marquesses of Montferrat they made him a gift of a relic of the Holy Cross. At the beginning of the 14th century, dynasty of death Aleramici, were the Palaiologos, new Marquesses of Montferrat, to Create under their protection. Between the 1372 and the 1418 they build, inside the Church, the cappella di Santa Margherita di Antiochia which was a relic of Santa (now kept in the Cathedral of Casale Monferrato). Between the 1474 and the 1479, William VIII Palaiologos commissioned important frescoes in the Cappella di Santa Margherita: on the back wall, the sides of the Madonna enthroned, features his portrait and that of his wife Bernarda of Brosse, along with daughters. At the end of the dynasty of the Palaeologi, in 1536 the Montferrat passed to Gonzaga. It was under Vincenzo I Gonzaga that, in 1589, Besides implemented an expansion of the Church, the first project was conceived of building of chapels of Sacro Monte. He was the model of the Sacro Monte di Varallo, now in advanced stages of construction, with its beautiful painted statues rich chapels and frescoed walls, to inspire father Costantino Massino, prior to Creating, the drafting of the project as a devotional path in 18 stations dedicated to the life of the Virgin, more properly, to the “mysteries” del Rosario.

The first chapels built were those of Nativity and the Presentation of Mary at the temple; in 1598 were 10 the chapels that were from the Crown to the shrine. A few years later the new prior of Creating an ambitious plan conceived by enlargement of the sacred mountain leading to 40 the number of chapels from build, design that led subsequent interventions but which was never completed. Towards the end of ' 600 Mt. mattered 18 chapels and 17 hermitages (places of prayer devoted each to a Saint, for use by devotees who, for other way, ridiscendevano from the chapel of paradise at the sanctuary); In the 1735 He rebuilt the church facade, According to the Baroque style that today we see. To Create prosperity lasted until the end of ' 700. The Suppression of the religious orders by Napoleone in 1801 and looting by his troops operated in the same year, reduced the Sacro Monte in disrepair and neglect.The rebuilding began only in 1859 with the establishment of “Restoration Society Sanctuary of Crea”. The restoration – along with the building from scratch a few chapels – were very frequent since. It was released in 1889 a major restoration of the Cappella del Paradiso, then resumed with the most reliable techniques in 1972.

Many are works of great artistic interest retained in Church-basilica of Santa Maria, starting with frescoes (1474– 1479) the chapel of Santa Margherita, with the Madonna enthroned with donors and scenes of the martyrdom of the Holy. This is important work for the history of’Renaissance art in Piemonte, that suggests the strain on Lombard models update. The unknown author, conventionally called "Maestro di Crea"it was, recently, thirteenth century identified with Francesco Spanzotti, the brother of the more famous Martino. Among the works preserved by the Church also remembered a beautiful painting by Macrino d'Alba and, by the same author – placed in the sanctuary Museum – two delicious small portraits depicting William IX of Montferrat and Anna d ' Alençon. Also worth mentioning is the canvas Guglielmo Caccia detto il Moncalvo, prominent exponent of the Mannerist Italian painting between the late 16th and early 17th century, depicting the eternal father and Santa Margherita's canvas painted by his daughter, Orsola Caccia (1619-1676).

About the authors terracotta statues and frescoes which prolong the Holy scenes on the walls of the chapels, remain, also because of the tormented vicissitudes of Mount, many fix attributive.Among the leading sculptors who worked to mount since the start of work in 1589, include the brothers Jean and Nicolas de Wespin (called the Tabacchetti), artists of Flemish origin, the eldest of them, Jean, He had already worked in Varallo.

Both interventions plausible Tabacchetti and hunting in the impressive Cappella del Paradiso dedicated to the coronation of the Virgin, Although difficult to recognize because of the many changes caused by the renovations. The chapel of paradise represents the culmination, symbolic and physical, devotional path. Of great scenic effect, though of uncertain artistic rendition, almost as if to foreshadow the Baroque exaggerations, is the complex of terracotta and plaster sculptures that populate the scene, with the group formed by ben 175 Angels leading into heaven the Virgin, including Crown 300 plastic figures depicting Saints and prophets, and a multitude of air Angel musicians painted on time. Latest interventions is the construction of the chapel of the ex novo Ascent of Jesus to Calvary, with the plaster statues executed (1892- 95) Casale sculptor Leonardo Bistolfi.

The Parco naturale del Sacro Monte di Crea, with its 47 hectares of land, is of great botanical interest for the presence of floristic elements rare or outside of the normal allocation. Many walking.

Consisting of sedimentary rocks of oligo-Miocene age age (marl and sandstone) the Hill is covered by a high selection, This, especially, at road courses. The northern side, steep and shady, It is predominantly occupied by smooth-leaved Elm, Cherry, white hornbeam, farnia, chestnut, curly maple and mountain Maple. The South side, more temperate and less inclined, consists of a thick downy oak coppice and manna-ash. Sometimes you will find limited groups of mountain Maple, Hackberry, ash and oak. Remarkable development on both sides had the robinia, that, at times, it totally replaces the forest planiziario. The undergrowth consists of corniolo, fusaria, vescicaria, broom, Viburnum lantana. Also significant are the Red Lily blooms, of anemones, of hand rosea and orchids. The botanical interest of these forests is linked to the presence of floristic elements rare or outside the normal area of distribution. Common mammals in the Park are: rate, Fox, Squirrel, Dormouse, Edible Dormouse. More substantial and varied the array of birds: poiana, Common Kestrel, long-eared OWL, OWL, Barn Owl and tawny owl, among the birds of prey; merlo, cesena, Chaffinch, green woodpecker, Woodpecker and great tit, among the passerines. Among the reptiles are common Viper and Coluber; among amphibians the salamander.