The World Heritage Committee,
1. Inscribes The Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy, Italy, on the World Heritage List on the basis of cultural criteria (ii) and (iv):
Criterion (ii): The implantation of architecture and sacred art into a natural landscape for didactic and spiritual purposes achieved its most exceptional expression in the Sacri Monti (‘Sacred Mountains') of northern Italy and had a profound influence on subsequent developments elsewhere in Europe.
Criterion (iv): The Sacri Monti (‘Sacred Mountains') of northern Italy represent the successful integration of architecture and fine art into a landscape of great beauty for spiritual reasons at a critical period in the history of the Roman Catholic Church.
The property consists of nine separate areas:
Name | Province (Region) | Area (ha) | Buffer (ha) |
Sacro Monte o "Nuova Gerusalemme" di Varallo Sesia | Vercelli (Piedmont) | 5.40 | 26.10 |
Sacro Monte di S.Maria Assunta di Serralunga di Crea | Alessandria (Piedmont) | 8.90 | 24.10 |
Sacro Monte di San Francesco d'Orta San Giulio | Novara (Piedmont) | 14.00 | 7.50 |
Sacro Monte del Rosario di Varese | Varese (Lombardy) | 14.60 | 32.60 |
Sacro Monte della Beata Vergine, Oropa | Biella (Piedmont) | 15.40 | 49.60 |
Sacro Monte della Beata Vergine del Soccorso, Ossuccio | Como (Lombardy) | 3.00 | 9.00 |
Sacro Monte della SS.Trinità, Ghiffa | Verbania (Piedmont) | 11.00 | 210.00 |
Sacro Monte Calvario, Domodossola | Verbania (Piedmont) | 3.60 | 41.40 |
Sacro Monte di Belmonte, Valperga Canavese | Turin (Piedmont) | 14.60 | 321.60 |
TOTAL | TOTAL | 90.50 | 721.90 |
2. Encourages the authorities of Italy and Switzerland to consider a possible transboundary collaboration in an extension of the property to include other properties of this type in Switzerland.