Madonna del Sasso

After getting showered and changed out of my wet clothes, I headed back down into Locarno. I took the funicular up the hill to Madonna del Sasso. If there is a church that should take the prize for most spectacular site, this should be a candidate. I am not sure if this is the church whose bells announce that it is 6.45am, but I imagine it might be. It stands tall above the town. It is when you get close on the funicular though that you realise how truly amazing its site is. The church seems to sit on sheer rock, the kind of sheer rock that runs alongside Val Verzasca. There is a Via Crucis that approaches from down the hill, and tall trees with spring green surround it. It is hard not to feel giddy when you stand outside the church and look down over the view of Locarno. (Yes you could see the view : it had stopped raining as I wasn't walking!)

Inside the church was full of paintings and plaques that individuals seem to have given in gratitude for some deed. There were groupings of people in sculpture like the Last Supper, and the descent of the Holy Spirit, and placing Jesus in the grave. These were lifesize tableau and I have not seen anything like them before.

I caught the funicular down again, glad I hadn't fallen off that mountain!