The Catholic Pilgrim's Guide to Ghiffa, Italy

UNESCO World Heritage Site on Mount Carciago overlooking Lake Maggiore, dedicated to the mystery of the Holy Trinity with three Baroque chapels and a medieval sanctuary.

In 1603, the Milanese historian Paolo Morigia noted that "from everywhere people are journeying to the miraculous mount." They came to venerate a fresco so unusual it would later be forbidden by Rome: an image of the Holy Trinity depicting Christ three times, identical figures blessing side by side. The painting had drawn pilgrims to this wooded hillside above Lake Maggiore since at least the twelfth century, when the first oratory rose among the chestnut trees on Mount Carciago. Something about the place—the view stretching across the water to the Lombardy Pre-Alps, the silence of the forest, the strange insistence of that triple-Christ image—held people here long enough to pray. What stands today is the smallest of the nine UNESCO-inscribed Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy, yet arguably the most intimately scaled. The Sanctuary of the Holy Trinity grew between 1590 and 1617 around the medieval oratory, absorbing it into the left wall of the nave where the forbidden fresco still hangs—one of the last surviving examples of a devotional image type that Pope Benedict XIV suppressed in 1745. Three Baroque chapels followed over the next century: the Chapel of the Coronation of the Virgin (1647), the Chapel of St. John the Baptist (1659), and the Chapel of Abraham (1703). An eighteenth-century arcade of fourteen Stations of the Cross completes the ensemble. The whole complex sits within a 200-hectare nature reserve of oak and chestnut, laced with trails that lead to prehistoric archaeological sites and commanding viewpoints over the lake. Unlike the grander Sacri Monti at Varallo or Oropa, Ghiffa was never finished. The original Borromean plan called for many more chapels, but only three were built before momentum stalled. This incompleteness gives the site its distinctive character: intimate rather than overwhelming, contemplative rather than didactic. Pilgrims who arrive expecting a spiritual theme park discover instead something quieter—a few polychrome terracotta figures in hushed interiors, birdsong filtering through stone arcades, and everywhere that sweeping view of water and mountain that the Counter-Reformation builders chose so deliberately.

📜 History & Spiritual Significance

The origins of Christian worship at Ghiffa reach back to the twelfth or thirteenth century, when a small oratory was built on the slopes of Mount Carciago. By 1591, documents record a chapel housing two altars, one dedicated to the Holy Trinity. The central devotion was an unusual fresco showing the Trinity as three identical figures of Christ—a visual theology that emphasized the equality of the divine Persons but troubled later authorities. The image became famous for miracles, drawing enough pilgrims that the site was expanded between 1590 and 1617 into a proper sanctuary church. St. Charles Borromeo, the reforming Archbishop of Milan whose influence shaped all the Sacri Monti, chose this location for development. The sanctuary's main altar received a significant addition between 1610 and 1618: an altarpiece depicting the Coronation of the Virgin surrounded by Saints Maurizio, Bernardino, Gaudenzio, and Carlo Borromeo himself, attributed to the Emilian painter Camillo Procaccini. The inclusion of Borromeo with a halo dates the work after his 1610 canonization. Elegant polychrome stuccoes by Lugano craftsmen frame the altarpiece. The three chapels represent distinct moments in salvation history. The Chapel of the Coronation of the Virgin, built in 1647 by the Canetta family of Ghiffa (as recorded in an inscription above the door), contains terracotta reliefs of the Madonna with prophets and saints. The Chapel of St. John the Baptist, completed before 1659, presents the Baptism of Christ through life-size polychrome statues: John pouring water over Jesus while the Heavenly Father gazes from above—a circular portico surrounds the entire structure. The most isolated chapel, dedicated to Abraham, dates to the early eighteenth century. Here the patriarch prostrates himself before three angels representing the Trinity, a visual echo of the sanctuary's central devotion. In 1752, the complex gained its Via Crucis arcade: fourteen bays with crossed vaults and stone columns ending at a small Chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows. The original frescoes, painted in 1824, deteriorated over time and were replaced in 1930 by polychrome terracotta tiles donated by local families. Throughout the nineteenth century, the plateau hosted fairs and festivals, and participation in the feast of the Holy Trinity guaranteed plenary indulgence. The site languished through much of the twentieth century until 1987, when the Sacro Monte della SS. Trinità Nature Reserve was established and systematic restoration began. In 2003, Ghiffa joined the eight other Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy on the UNESCO World Heritage List, recognized for the successful integration of architecture and sacred art into a landscape of great beauty for spiritual purposes.

☩ Sacro Monte della Santissima Trinità di Ghiffa

The complex rises at approximately 360 meters above sea level on the slopes of Mount Carciago, commanding views across Lake Maggiore to the Lombardy Pre-Alps. A cobblestone path connects the sanctuary, three chapels, and Via Crucis arcade, all set within the protected chestnut and oak forest of the nature reserve.

Sanctuary of the Holy Trinity

Local Name: Santuario della Santissima Trinità Address: Via SS. Trinità, 48, 28823 Ghiffa VB, Italy GPS Coordinates: 45.9500000, 8.6167000 Google Maps: View on Google Maps Website: https://www.sacrimonti.org/en/sacro-monte-di-ghiffa Dedication: The Holy Trinity Historical Note: The sanctuary developed between 1590 and 1617 by expanding a medieval oratory that had stood here since the twelfth or thirteenth century. The original chapel housing the famous Trinitarian fresco was incorporated into the left side of the single-nave church. Bishop Ferdinando Taverna of Novara noted the completed altarpiece during a pastoral visit in 1618. A bell tower was added in 1629. Spiritual Importance: The heart of the sanctuary remains the medieval fresco depicting Christ three times—three identical figures representing the three Persons of the Trinity. This unusual iconography, once common in medieval Europe, was suppressed by Pope Benedict XIV in 1745 as potentially misleading. The Ghiffa fresco is one of the rare surviving examples. Pilgrims have venerated this image for over eight centuries, drawn by reports of miracles and the site's reputation as "sacred and miraculous even before the construction of the Mount." Services are celebrated during summer and on the Feast of the Holy Trinity.

Chapel of the Coronation of the Virgin

Local Name: Cappella dell'Incoronata The first chapel built after the sanctuary was designated a Sacro Monte, constructed in 1647 by the Canetta family of Ghiffa. An elegant porch precedes the interior, which contains a terracotta relief of the Madonna surrounded by life-size polychrome figures of saints and prophets. The structure follows the Borromean conception established at the earlier Sacri Monti of Orta and Varese: devotional scenes populated by realistic sculptures in frescoed settings, designed to bring biblical narratives to vivid life for pilgrims who could not read.

Chapel of St. John the Baptist

Local Name: Cappella di San Giovanni Battista Completed before 1659, this chapel presents the Baptism of Christ through dramatic polychrome terracotta statuary. John the Baptist pours water from the Jordan over the head of Jesus while the Heavenly Father observes from above. A distinctive circular portico completely surrounds the chapel, creating a covered walkway that allows pilgrims to circumambulate the scene. The unusual architectural form emphasizes the sacramental significance of baptism as entry into the life of the Trinity.

Chapel of Abraham

Local Name: Cappella di Abramo The most distant from the sanctuary complex, this early eighteenth-century chapel stands somewhat apart in the forest. Built on a cruciform plan with a graceful entrance porch, it depicts the patriarch Abraham prostrate in adoration before three angels—the Old Testament prefiguration of the Trinity from Genesis 18, when three mysterious visitors appeared to Abraham at the oaks of Mamre. The scene completes the theological program of the Sacro Monte: Abraham's encounter with the divine, Christ's baptism as the Father speaks and the Spirit descends, Mary's coronation by the Trinity in heaven.

Via Crucis Arcade

Local Name: Portico della Via Crucis Constructed between 1752 and 1761, this covered walkway of fourteen bays marks the traditional Stations of the Cross. Stone columns support crossed vaults that shelter pilgrims from sun and rain as they meditate on Christ's Passion. The original frescoes from 1824 deteriorated and were replaced in 1930 by polychrome terracotta panels donated by Ghiffa families. The arcade ends at the Chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows (Cappella dell'Addolorata), completing the devotional circuit.

🕯️ Annual Feast Days & Celebrations

Trinity Sunday (moveable feast, first Sunday after Pentecost) – Feast of the Holy Trinity Sanctuary of the Holy Trinity. The principal feast draws pilgrims to the sanctuary's patronal celebration with special liturgies. This is one of the few occasions when Mass is celebrated at the Sacro Monte, and historically, participation guaranteed plenary indulgence.

🛏️ Where to Stay

4-Star Hotels

Hotel Ghiffa ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 📍 Address: Corso Belvedere, 88, 28823 Ghiffa VB, Italy 🌐 Website: https://hotelghiffa.it/en/ 🔗 Booking.com: ghiffa A Liberty-style lakefront property dating to the late nineteenth century, recently renovated while preserving its Art Nouveau character. Private beach access, seasonal swimming pool, and restaurant serving Piedmontese cuisine. The hotel offers boat rentals and can arrange excursions to the Sacro Monte, located approximately 2 kilometers uphill.

🚗 Getting There

By Air: Milan Malpensa Airport lies approximately 44 kilometers south. The drive to Ghiffa takes about one hour via the A26 motorway. By Train: The nearest railway station is Verbania-Pallanza, 14 kilometers from Ghiffa, on lines connecting Milan, Novara, and Domodossola. From the station, regional buses serve Ghiffa. By Bus: VCO Trasporti operates line 3 (Verbania-Cannobio-Brissago) with a stop at Ghiffa, and line 8 (Intra-Ghiffa-Oggebbio) with a stop at Ronco. By Ferry: Navigazione Lago Maggiore operates ferry services to Ghiffa's landing stage from other lake towns including Verbania, Stresa, and the Borromean Islands. By Car: From the A26 motorway (E62), exit at Gravellona Toce and follow SS33 toward Verbania-Pallanza, then continue to Ghiffa. The Sacro Monte can be reached by car via a winding road to the parking areas. From there, the historic area is accessible only on foot, though trails for visitors with limited mobility extend approximately 400 meters through the monumental zone. On Foot: An ancient footpath from Ghiffa village (near the Church of Santa Croce) climbs to the Sacro Monte in approximately 40 minutes. The route passes through the characteristic narrow streets of the old center before ascending through forest.

📚 Further Reading

Articles & Online Resources:

🔗 Useful Links

🧭 Nearby Pilgrimage Destinations

Sacro Monte di Orta – 35 km west. Dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi, this Sacro Monte comprises twenty chapels tracing the saint's life, set on a peninsula overlooking Lake Orta with views to the island of San Giulio. Sacro Monte di Domodossola (Calvario) – 45 km north. A Via Crucis of fifteen chapels ascending to a sanctuary, built in the early eighteenth century with particularly dramatic terracotta sculptural groups. Sacro Monte di Varallo – 60 km east. The oldest and largest of the Sacri Monti, founded in 1486, with forty-five chapels containing over 800 life-size painted statues depicting the life of Christ. The masterwork of Gaudenzio Ferrari.

🪶 Closing Reflection

"Three Persons who are one God because the Father is love, the Son is love, the Spirit is love. God is wholly and only love, the purest, infinite and eternal love. He does not live in splendid solitude but rather is an inexhaustible source of life that is ceaselessly given and communicated."
— Pope Benedict XVI, Angelus Address on Trinity Sunday, 7 June 2009