Santuario di Oropa e Passeggiata dei Preti

The Sanctuary of Oropa is located in the homonymous valley (Valle Oropa) in the province of Biella. The Sanctuary is built on three terraced squares and its “heart” is the “Basilica Antica” where the “Madonna Nera” is kept.
The historiographic tradition, even if not supported by documentation, wants that the Bishop Eusebio of Vercelli, in the fourth century AD, brought a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary to Oropa, from which the Marian cult developed.
The first certain evidence regarding the building of a church (the “Old Church“) dates back to 1295 and is an extension of a previous chapel. This was followed by other important works in 1599 and 1620.
In 1668 the Savoy family had the large cloister built, which subsequently characterizes the architecture of the entire Sanctuary that can be admired today.
Built at about 1200 meters high, from its cloisters and stairways you can admire a panoramic view of the Oropa Valley and the province of Biella.

Starting from the Sanctuary of Oropa it is possible to follow numerous panoramic paths: one of the most famous is the “Passeggiata dei Preti“, an easy and very panoramic walk. Starting from the bridge over the Oropa stream, the path continues on the left side of the valley, offering glimpses of the Sanctuary, the Oropa Valley and Biella. At the entrance of the path you can find, engraved in the rock, the phrase “May this place, over which the Mother of God watches for you, who come on a pious pilgrimage, be a temple of gratitude and love”.

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