Sacro Monte di Brissago

The sanctuary of the Madonna del Sasso was first known at the end of the 15th century, and we know that the first church was consecrated there in 1502. At the end of the 16th century the construction of a second church, located on top of the cliff, was started and consecrated in 1616. With the coronation of the Madonna del Sasso, which took place the following year, a whole series of works to embellish and complete the Sacred Mount began. In 1619 a road was opened on the crest of the hill, with some chapels dedicated to the Mysteries of the Rosary, and later on it would host the chapels of the Way of the Cross. Major works were undertaken between 1891 and 1912, the whole complex at the top of the sacred mountain was heavily remodelled. The convent was enlarged, the neo-Renaissance façade was rebuilt in 1892, in 1895 loggias and terraces were added on the eastern side and the bell tower was rebuilt.

The chapel Santa Maria degli Angeli was built in 1992-1996 on a project by Mario Botta. The structure integrates totally the existing landscape as to offer a better point of view on the valley.

The church of Santa Maria degli Angeli is a religious building of late Romanesque style built at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries. The church is famous for its interior frescoes including the "Passione e Crocefissione" of the sixteenth century.