The Sacred Mount of Ossuccio, a UNESCO heritage site

The Sacred Mount of Ossuccio and 5 good reasons to visit it

The things we see every day we often take for granted. It happens to us with objects, with places and with people.

Sure, you want to put it? Fresh air and novelty are the salt of life and they are needed like cream on strawberries! Absolutely and at all costs. At least once in a while. To recharge, find energy and new stimuli.

Hi, I’m Marta, Local Blogger from Lake Como! Need some help planning your trip? Check out my Travel Designer service!

But then it is often those objects, places or people we know so well that actually convey the strongest emotions to us. Because, for better or worse, they speak about us, about who we are, about our history.

So, yes to trying new things, a thousand times yes!

But yes also to rediscovering every day what is already around us and already part of our days.

That’s why today I went to a place that’s a stone’s throw from me, that I see all the time, that I’ve visited dozens and dozens of times. But which, lo and behold, I still have not talked about, perhaps because precisely I have taken it for granted.

I am referring to the Sacred Mount of Ossuccio.

I was longing for the everyday, for certainty.

And those who live here know that Sacro Monte gives you certainties. You just have to look up and there it is, just above the village. In all its beauty, mysticism and stillness.

Discover the village of Ossuccio with me!

Why visit the Sacred Mount of Ossuccio?

There are several reasons why the Sacro Monte of Ossuccio is worth visiting.

First, if you are a believer, it is an important place of worship.

Second, it is a UNESCO heritage site, therefore mine, yours, everyone’s. It clearly has what it takes to stand out.

Third, the walk to it is pleasant, easy and with a wonderful view.

A fourth good reason is that, artistically speaking, it will leave you speechless.

Fifth, moving from the sacred to the profane, there is a respectable trattoria at the back of the Sanctuary with excellent home cooking (temporarily closed – update 2025)

And then a few numbers: it is part of the 20 Sacred Mountains of the pre-Alpine valleys (9 of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites), it dates back to the 17th century, there are 14 chapels, 230 statues, and 177 characters.

The route

The route starts from the hamlet of Molgisio, of Lenno (Tremezzina) and leads up to the Sanctuary, about 420 meters above sea level. Alternatively, you can drive up from the village of Ossuccio, leaving your car in one of the many parking lots in the village or even near the entrance to the chapels’ avenue. Keep in mind that, in this case, the first chapel you will come to will be the fourth.

The climb is gentle, along a wide, ancient cobbled avenue surrounded by meadows and olive trees. And as you ascend, you are immersed in a collected atmosphere of spirituality, landscape and history.

Baroque chapels set the stage for human-sized statues depicting the mysteries of the Rosary and the life of Jesus and Our Lady in 17th-century clothing. They are stucco and terracotta statues, colorful and richly detailed, with very expressive faces. True masterpieces of art by the plasterers of the Intlvi valley. Even if one is not driven here out of devotion one can hardly remain indifferent to such craftsmanship.

The fifteenth chapel coincides with the shrine proper.

And here, too, there is no shortage of surprises: there is a statue of Mary in white marble (which, according to tradition, was found in this very place, thus giving rise to the devotion), there is an ancient painting of the Virgin and Child, an organ from the 1700s, an altar made of scagliola, and floors made of lake marble.

In short, it is a place to be seen, with an unsurprising beauty that hardly leaves one indifferent.

Even those who know this place like the back of their hand.

You might also be interested in my Lake Como local Pocket Guide full of tips on what to see and do on the lake.