The Documentation Centre of Sacri Monti, Calvaries and devotional complexes
The Documentation Centre of the European Sacred Mounts, Calvaries and Devotional Complexes, founded in 2005 by the Piemonte Region in the Natural Park of the Sacred Mount of Crea, has as its objective their promotion, the collection, preservation and divulgation of documents related to these monumental sites, research activities, and the development of publishing activities as opportunities for discussion and cooperation. In these recent years, the Documentation Centre has promoted the publication of books, it has organised exhibits and meetings of an international character, and it has started up a database banca dati with the mapping of over 1,800 European devotional complexes.
The Documentation Centre was already operating in 2000, when the Natural Park of the Sacred Mount of Crea, formalised it with a resolution of the Committee Directive no. 8 of 23 November. This initiative was motivated by the need to organise and develop the process of knowledge, documentation, research and exchange of information. This need had emerged from the conclusion of the first phase of census work on these sites started in 1995 and terminated in 2001, with the publication of the volume: Atlante dei Sacri Monti, Calvari e Complessi devozionali europei (Atlas of the Sacred Mounts, Calvaries and Devotional Complexes). The Atlas identifies and describes 1,825 devotional complexes located in twenty nations and it marks a decisive step forward in the evolution of a process of cultural valorisation of these monumental complexes.
The Committee for the UNESCO World Heritage, in its 27th session, held in Paris on June 30th 2003, enrolled 24 new sites in its World Heritage list: among these there was the site named the “Sacred Mounts of Piemonte and Lombardia”.
The unitary management plan approved by the UNESCO specified the creation of a “Permanent Study and Documentation Centre”, identified in the Documentation Centre of the European Sacred Mounts, Calvaries and Devotional Complexes that had already been set up in the Park of the Sacred Mount of Crea.
Finally, the Documentation Centre was formally instituted by the Piemonte Region with Regional Law: L.R. no. 5, of 28-02-2005, which had the objective to promote “Activities of research, and study and occasions for discussion and cooperation”.
Ente di Gestione dei Sacri Monti
Centro di Documentazione dei Sacri Monti, Calvari e Complessi devozionali europei
Riserva speciale del Sacro Monte di Crea
Cascina Valperone, 1
15020 Ponzano Monferrato (AL)
Tel.: 0141 927120
Fax: 0141 927800
E-mail: c.doc@sacrimonti.net