The Visual Piety of the Sacro Monte Di Orta

The lakeside towns ringing northern Italy’s Lake Maggiore all bear the imprint of the noble Borromeo family: land, water, islands, gardens, architecture, castles, churches, even grand hotels. At the southern end of the lake in the port of Arona stands the thirty-five-meter (115 feet) tall copper statue of the family’s most famous member, Cardinal and Saint Carlo Borromeo. Erected in 1624, this huge hollow statue has interior stairs which lead the visitor to the very top. From there, one can look out through the saint’s eyes at a panorama of the countryside. This literal imposition of Borromeo’s gaze upon his domain reifies the power of his reforming vision which transformed the religious life of northern Italy following the Council of Trent.