SANTUARIO DI BOCA

Still being a place of intense popular devotion and of proximity pilgrimages by residents of the province of Novara and neighbouring provinces, the Sanctuary of the Holy Crucifix of Boca is one of the first major projects of Alessandro Antonelli and already reveals the ambition and architectural vision that would characterise his mature production. The building, set on a scenic central rotunda conceived as Monumental Scurolo, develops through wide bays and a octastyle pronaos which lends monumentality to the entrance. The complex, designed in several stages between 1827 and 1831, provides a symmetrical and rigorous composition, built in bricks fired on site, and supplemented by side porches intended for the reception of pilgrims.

A distinctive element of the original project is the planned candelabra bell tower, slender and vertical, which should have marked the sanctuary as a landmark in the landscape. Although not completely realised according to the architect's design, the sanctuary retains the’Antonellian footprintpowerful, geometric architecture, capable of standing out in its natural surroundings with a scenic and unmistakable presence.

📩 Reservations are required for the visit at [email protected]