Chapel 13 - The Temptations of Jesus
It depicts the temptations of Jesus in the desert by the devil depicted in human guise.
The chapel is one of the oldest of the Sacred Mount, already existing at the beginning of the sixteenth century as proven by a date engraved outside on the back wall. Initially, the entrance consisted of an open door on the back wall and housed the scene of Jesus bearing the cross. In the project by Galeazzo Alessi (1565-1572) the space was used to depict the mystery of the Temptations of Jesus in the desert. The statues of the new group were shaped and were located inside the chapel in 1578 when the building housed two episodes of the Gospel story: the Ascent to Calvary and the Temptations of Jesus in the desert.
From 1599, following the orders of Bishop Bascapè, the scene has been rearranged and dedicated entirely to the mystery of the Temptations with the addition of terracotta animals, presumably the work of Michele Prestinari. The painted decoration is traditionally attributed to Melchiorre d'Enrico, brother of Tanzio da Varallo.