The Sanctuary of Oropa, located at an altitude of 1,159 meters in the Biellese Alps, north of the city of Biella (Piedmont), is one of the most important Marian shrines in Europe. According to tradition, it was founded in the 4th century by Saint Eusebius, bishop of Vercelli, who brought with him a statue of the Black Madonna from the Holy Land. Although no documents from that time are preserved, devotion to the Virgin of Oropa is deeply rooted and has grown over the centuries, making this place an important center of pilgrimage, faith, and culture.
The current image of the Black Madonna, carved in wood at the beginning of the 14th century, is venerated and surrounded by miraculous accounts and stories of protection from plagues and disasters. Over the centuries, the sanctuary has expanded with chapels, cloisters, a new basilica (consecrated in 1960), and the Sacred Mount of Oropa, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003. Every hundred years, a solemn coronation of the statue is celebrated, and thousands of faithful come to fulfill vows or give thanks for favors received, leaving behind thousands of votive offerings.
- Address
Via Santuario D’Oropa, 480, Oropa, Italy - Web
https://www.santuariodioropa.it/en/ - Visiting Hours
Everyday fron 7:00 to 00:00 - What to see
Chapels, Black Madonna
