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Graglia (Biella)- Sanctuary of the Virgin of the Snow of Campra
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Show to visit in the Biella area: |
 The construction of the small church is part of the grandiose project of Don Nicolao Velotti, appointed parish priest of Graglia in 1615. He had in fact set himself the goal of creating a Sacro Monte which, through no less than a hundred chapels, would have described the entire biblical narration from the Creation to the glory of the saints, winding from the town of Graglia (600m asl) to the summit of Colle San Carlo (at 1020m asl), located in the northwest of the town.
The works began in 1616 with the construction of the final station of the Sacro Monte, that is with the Church of San Carlo on the top of the homonymous hill. The church still exists today, but has not yet been listed on this website.
Of the chapels designed, in the end only a few were built, which were then incorporated into the large Sanctuary of the Virgin of Loreto, which in practice took the place of the initially planned Sacro Monte.
In any case, between 1626 and 1628, Don Velotti's successor, Don Nicolao Garrano, decided the construction of a small church in an open area immediately north of the town which could be used in the winter months in place of the Church of San Carlo , too hard to get to at that time of year. Also annexed to the church had to be a residence for the priests who lived in San Carlo.
The small church attracted a growing number of faithful and pilgrims by virtue of miraculous healings that took place in it, so that it soon became a small sanctuary.
Obviously, with the creation of the much larger Sanctuary of the Madonna di Loreto (which owns it) it lost some importance, without however ever being forgotten.
Although being a small church, it had an independent sacristy and a portico in front of the entrance.
In 1778 the bell tower was added.
In 1806 the sacristy was rebuilt.
Between 1822 and 1826 the original church was replaced with the current one, because the old one was by then crumbling.
In 1850 the church was equipped with a new altar and accommodation for the hermit who was entrusted with the custody of the building.
The small church, externally in exposed brick apart from the facade, has a refined structure, with an octagonal central body. From it a rectangular entrance hall communicating with the portico branches off on the front and, symmetrically, on the back the deep presbytery. The Portico opens onto the outside through a large serliana closed by iron gates.
The facade is on two orders. The upper one is enriched by two frescoes, of the Madonna and of Christ, on the sides of the central circular window, but both are now rather faded.
In the lower order two saints are depicted above the side openings of the large serliana.
In the atrium, above the entrance, a U-shaped choir loft tends to make the space a little cramped.
The central body is covered internally by a hemispherical dome decorated to simulate the presence of octagonal coffers that get smaller towards the center and of a lantern at the apex. The four evangelists are depicted in the spandrels.
Numerous votive offerings are visible on the walls marked by pilasters, evidence of the graces received by visitors to the sanctuary.
At the center of the retable above the altar there is a depiction of the Virgin, which however would only be a reproduction of the image present originally.
August 5th is the day dedicated to the Virgin of the Snow, celebrated in the small sanctuary. However, the church can often be visited on other days of the year as well.
Categories: Places of historical value of artistic value
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Sanctuary of the Virgin of the Snow of Campra: Further pictures in the section Photography |