Day 3
Graglia, a small village made up of the chief town and various hamlets of the area, includes the Sacro Monte of Graglia overlooking the Elvo Valley, located in the western Prealps of The Biella area. When the Sacro Monte itself was envisioned back in the early 1600s, it was slated to contain 100 chapels. But it was scaled down later and today only five remain. Duke Carlo Emmanuel 11 was the original backer of the project, and it was more than a century later that the church assumed its current appearance with a Greek cross plan surrounded by a 38 meter high dome.

One sanctuary in the complex, the Sanctuary of Our Lay of Loreto, contains the Pilgrim’s Hospice. The rooms are all completely refurbished, and offer a very economical approach to travel within the region. Accommodations for over 100 people are available, complete with cooking facilities, common rooms, and a very interesting 1500 book library of the religious history of the region.

The Sacro Monte has the recreational facilities of a full-scale resort. Lighted fields are available for volleyball, soccer, and bowls (a popular game from the U.K.). There is even a nine hole miniature golf course and in the winter, downhill skiing.

A short walk down the road from the Sacro Monte will transport you into lush mountain pastures ripe for exploring. Many trails are available for walking, mountain biking, or horseback riding. Rumor has it that one spot on the trail towards the Church of San Carlo has an echo that will bounce back up to eleven syllables. The only other place in the world with such an echo is the Grand Canyon.

Although you overlook the beautiful and serene Elvo Valley, you are but a bus ride, or one mile walk into the nearest village, where you can still discover ironwork shops, carpentry shops, and other small stores that feature the artisanal produce and dairy of the area, thanks to the Eco Museum of the Elvo and Serra Valley.

We dined in a small restaurant adjacent to the sanctuary, perfect for anyone staying in the Pilgrim’s Hospice. The specialty was local fare of the region.