The Sanctuary Madonna del Sasso stands on a rocky outcrop overlooking Lake Orta at 638 m above sea level in the Boleto area.
From the square in front of the church, called "the balcony of Cusio", you can enjoy a spectacular view of almost the whole Lake Orta, the Mottarone, the Alps and the plain towards Novara.
The sacred complex consists of the church, the bell tower and the parish house.
The current complex was commissioned in 1706 by the Bolognese Pietro Paolo Minola, who, due to a grace received from the Madonna, decided to have a new sanctuary built upon his charge, replacing the previous one.
The works began around 1725, due also to the contribution of the inhabitants of Boleto. In 1748 the church was complete, while the bell tower and the parish house were finished in 1760. The sanctuary was officially consecrated in 1771 by the Bishop of Novara.
The church is a Greek cross in baroque style with two side altars; the architecture and frescoes are the work of the Valsesian painter-architect Lorenzo Peracino. The altarpiece, belonging to the old sanctuary, is a board by the sixteenth-century painter Fermo Stella da Caravaggio, representing the Pietà.
In 1998, on occasion of the 250th anniversary of the construction, the entire complex was completely restored.
Part of the text is from: Comune di Madonna Del Sasso
