Chapel One - Annunciation

The First Chapel of the Sacro Monte di Varese is the chapel of the Annunciation, dedicated to the first joyful mystery of the Rosary, and it represents the start of the grand Via Sacra [Holy Way].

The first stone was laid on 25 March 1605, marking the official commencement of works, even if the early stages had already commenced in November of the previous year.
The chapel, designed by Giuseppe Bernascone, is slightly above the path and is rectangular in shape, as well as having a portico on three sides. The words of the Angel Gabriel to the Virgin are written in large letters in a frieze above the arches, and in smaller letters around the six windows. The main window is surrounded by an elegant frame, sculpted by Pietro Martire from Desenzano, topped by a vase with bronze roses, made by Oreste Quattrini in 1993 to replace the originals, which were stolen. 
Inside the chapel there are just two polychrome terracotta statues, donated by the community of Orta: the announcing angel, whose base is engraved with the signature of its sculptor, Cristoforo Prestinari along with the year (1610), and the Virgin. 
The chapel walls are painted to look like old brickwork, while the furnishings of the house are plain, but finely made, with a carved and gilded bed, and a credenza containing plates and majolicas, donated by the noble Archinti family. There are also items of everyday use, such as a spinning wheel and a set of bellows, which help pilgrims to immerse themselves in the holy atmosphere of the scene.