Madonna di Loreto Fraz. Roccapietra

On the outskirts of Varallo, in the hamlet of Roccapietra, lies a small artistic jewel. The Oratory of Our Lady of Loreto stands out against a backdrop of rock faces and woods. It is particularly interesting from an artistic point of view for its Renaissance architecture and extensive external and internal decoration.

The appearance of this building underwent considerable changes in the 16th century, and an elegant Renaissance-style loggia was added to the original chapel. The marvellous iconographic apparatus can be recognised as the work of Gaudenzio Ferrari, who worked on it between 1514 and 1521. Already in the external lunette above the entrance door, one can admire a Nativity by Gaudenzio Ferrari, whose soft and gentle style is a distinctive trait of the Valsesian master. Inside the chapel there is a cycle of frescoes dedicated to the life of the Blessed Virgin, while above the altar, in a niche, there is a sculpture of the Madonna of Milk with two frescoes of the Annunciation beside it, all works by Ferrari.