Varallo: Pilgrimage Art, Museums and Mountain Views

Varallo combines a rich history of sacred art with museums and trails in a pre-Alpine setting. You can explore the town when planning your trip based on a range of interests: the devotional trail, the paintings of the Valsesia, natural and cultural history collections, or a route offering views of the Alps.

Art and history along the devotional trail

At the foot of the ascent to the Sacro Monte stands the Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie. It was designed as a visual and spiritual introduction to the devotional trail. The church houses the Parete Gaudenziana, a fresco cycle from 1513 comprising 20 episodes from the life and Passion of Christ. Here, a specific work of art meets the history of the pilgrimage route. The Sacro Monte di Varallo was created in the late 15th century by the Franciscan friar Bernardino Caimi as a replica of holy sites in Palestine. Together, the church, frescoes and the historical idea behind its creation give the devotional trail its art-historical and religious context.

Art and science collections

The Palazzo dei Musei houses the Pinacoteca di Varallo and the Museo Calderini, bringing together art and science collections. Founded in 1886, the Pinacoteca documents the development of Valsesian painting from the 15th to the 19th century. Artists represented there include Gaudenzio Ferrari and Tanzio da Varallo. The Museo Calderini complements this focus on art with a collection spanning mineralogy, zoology, archaeology and ethnography. These four fields differ clearly in subject matter, ranging from minerals and animals to archaeological and ethnographic topics.

The Museo Cesare Scaglia also explores Varallo’s art history. In three rooms with their original furnishings, it displays paintings, furniture, household objects, books and jewellery. The Casa Museo Cesare Scaglia is located in the building where the painter Cesare Scaglia lived and worked. The Museo della Pesca offers another perspective on local collections: it is housed in the historic Palazzo Scarognini – D’Adda and displays historic fishing equipment.

Crafts and landscape

The Bottega dell’Artigianato showcases traditional crafts from the Valsesia. These include Puncetto lace, Scapin slippers, wood carvings and soapstone work. The pieces range from textiles and wearable items to works in wood and stone. Anyone interested in regional craft traditions will find a different way to explore Valsesian culture here than in the art and science collections.

The landscape is also part of the Sacro Monte’s character: the protected area of the Piedmont Region covers 22 hectares and lies in a pre-Alpine setting at an elevation of 455 to 650 metres. The Sentiero di padre Gallino leads from the Sacro Monte area to the heights above Varallo. Along the way, there are views of the Alps, Monte Rosa, the Valsesia and the Val Mastallone. The trail thus combines a hike with several clearly identifiable landscape views.

The municipal route description, checked on 30 August 2026, describes the Via Ferrata della Falconera as a physically and technically demanding via ferrata. Features mentioned in the description include 400 metres of safety cable, overhanging sections and horizontal rock ledges. The two routes described are therefore quite different: the Sentiero di padre Gallino focuses on the route to the heights and the views, while the Via Ferrata involves the technical and physical demands of the via ferrata. When planning your trip, you can consider culture, hiking views and via ferrata climbing as distinct highlights.

Discover more destinations: Albano Vercellese, Alagna Valsesia, Santhià, Rimasco, Balmuccia, Rima, Livorno Ferraris, Carisio.

For the wider travel overview: Vercelli.