The Flagellation
The scene shows the Flagellation of Jesus.
A previous chapel of the Flagellation already existed in the sixteenth century. It was in the ancient Palace of Pilate, which was demolished in the late nineteenth century. The remaining parts of the frescoes by Bernardino Lanino are now at the Pinacoteca in Varallo.
The new chapel was on the ground floor of the new Palace of Pilate ordered by Bishop Bascapè. This palace required extensive excavation work to remove the rocks of the mountain and was completed in 1610. Bascapè asked to bring there some of the wooden statues that were part of the ancient mystery. Then, four terracotta figures by Giovanni d'Enrico were added in 1617.
The frescoes by the Valsesian artist Cristoforo Martinoli, also known as "il Rocca", were completed in 1620.