Mary's Immaculate Conception
Located along the road leading to the Sanctuary is the first chapel dedicated to the life of the Virgin Mary. It was built in the first half of the 17th century, thanks to donations from the districts of Rossigliasco, Vernato, Piazzo and the canton of Ghiara di Biella. The elegant building features thirty-four figures created by the d'Enricos workshop. A huge dragon in terracotta, acting as a reminder of the original sin, sits at the center of the chapel, with St. Joachim and St. Anne, the Virgin Mary's parents. Above, God and Jesus, surrounded by angels and cherubs, are sending the Holy Spirit to the Virgin child, knelt over the world. Two angels hold a cross and a column with a rooster, symbols of the Passion. The wall paintings, with architectural elements and landscapes, are the work of don Serafino Novelli, who worked in Oropa between 1861 and 1875, to renew the original decoration.