Wedding at the edge of a rock above Lake Orta

Around Italian Lake region, it is very difficult finding another location like this one we will describe here: Madonna del Sasso church.

It is a sanctuary is at the top of a huge rock leap of more than 400 m. high on Lake Orta. From the courtyard of the sanctuary looking towards North side, you could see the Alps of Ossola Valley up to Switzerland. On South side you could admire valley towards Milan and Ligurian Apennines, mountains divide Piemonte region and Ligurian sea.
An unforgettable vision on one of the most beautiful Italian belvederes.  This is the reason because many call it Orta Balcony.

Planning your marriage on Madonna del Sasso church means give to your wedding a touch of magic to share with your guests that will surely love this enchanting beauty.

The entire area around Madonna del Sasso church includes ancient villages kept as they were such as Artò, Centanara, Piana dei Monti and most of all Boleto, a real medieval hidden jewel.

Madonna del Sasso church evoke a real spry that happened around 1500. It tells about a pretty waitress of a local teverna in Pella village that married a rude soldier named Aycardo. When he came back from a war mission he heard some rumors about his wife betraying him with an English soldier. Aycardo got mad, he put his wife on this shoulders carrying her on the rock and finally throwing her down it. The poor girl grabbed to a bush but when she looked up seeing his husband – who was trying to save her this time – she decided to let herself going down. On this place some people decided to place a wooden cross, then a little chapel and at the end a big sanctuary.

Sanctuary has been built on the edge of a white granite rock.  During 1800 a granite cave was opened beneath the church. This activity kept on going for more than a century until it was closed. People feared that the extraction of granite material would had lead to church collapsing.  In order to remember those times there is “miners museum” in Boleto village that tells vistors hard work of Lake Orta miners who were well known as masters in stone-crafts.

Madonna del Sasso Sanctuary is a baroque church with a single nave. It has been recently restored. Inside the church you will see the great Lorenzo Peracino paintings (1771), some wooden furniture, marble balusters and precious Fermo Stella di Caravaggio altar dated 1541.
Madonna del Sasso chuch is an extraordinary monument kept as it was in ancient times. You can see in the image below some wedding floral arrangement by Monika Andenmatten from La Piccola Selva.

Madonna del Sasso sanctuary is a lovely wedding destination for religious ceremonies. It is very easy to reach from Orta village even after a civil service to Villa Bossi.

The beauty of the place, sky and lake, mountains and plain with breathtaking view make Madonna del Sasso church the perfect destination for stunning wedding pictures, too!

All images © Italian Lakes Wedding.