Chapel 7, where the scene of the Flagellation is depicted, was completed in 1609, thanks to the considerable donations of the Milanese nobles Francesco and Domenico Litta. Their family coat of arms stands out above the portico of the façade.
The Litta family, as previously said, were not the only rich benefactors who supported the construction of an entire chapel at the Sacro Monte of Varese. The construction of a building at the Sacro Monte was a considerable economic undertaking. The decision to invest so much in a religious monument is certainly to be seen as an act of faith, in a society that was much more attached to religion than ours is in the 21st century. However, such an operation was also a propaganda tool: it meant leaving a mark on a privileged stage and on a monument that represented the very identity of a territory and an entire society.