Sanctuary of Oropa
| Sanctuary of Oropa | |
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| Santuario della beata Vergine di Oropa | |
View of the Ancient Basilica
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 Sanctuary of Oropa
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| 45°37′42″N 7°58′44″E / 45.628333°N 7.978889°ECoordinates: 45°37′42″N 7°58′44″E / 45.628333°N 7.978889°E | |
| Location | Biella |
| Country | Italy |
| Denomination | Catholic |
| Website | www |
| History | |
| Authorising papal bull | 9th century |
| Dedication | Black Virgin of Oropa |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural type | Mainly baroque |
| Completed | 1960 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Diocese of Biella |
The Sanctuary of Oropa (Italian: santuario di Oropa), is a group of Roman Catholic buildings and structures in the municipality of Biella, Italy. It is located at a height of 1,159 metres in a small valley of the Alpi Biellesi.
According to legend, a black wooden statue of the Virgin Mary carved by Saint Luke was found in Jerusalem by Saint Eusebius of Vercelli and carried to Oropa in the 4th century AD and placed into a small niche in a big boulder. Around that niche housing the statue in the Middle Ages was built first a church, which during the early 17th century was replaced with what is known today as the Ancient Basilica. In the following two centuries several other buildings were added to the complex, including the royal apartments of the House of Savoy, a big library and the Royal Gate, a masterpiece designed by the architect Filippo Juvarra in the 18th century.
The last building added to the sanctuary was the Upper Basilica, a monumental church built between 1885 and 1960 due the large number of pilgrims visiting Oropa. Its dome is 80 metres high and the church can hold 3000 people.
In 1617, the construction of the Sacro Monte di Oropa (literally Sacred Mount of Oropa) was built not far from the sanctuary. It is a devotional path now composed of twelve chapels (plus another seven nearby) containing groups of statues representing scenes from the story of the Virgin Mary's life.
Near the Sacro Monte in the XIX century was built a new graveyard, where the noble families of the Biellese territory built their family tombs. Some graves have free masons symbols, such as Quintino Sella's one.
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Wikipedia