rancis had a vital role to play at this mo-ment in the history of the Italian peninsula, and in no place is the case for his relevance made more beautifully, completely and com-prehensively than the Sacro Monte di Orta. Riding a wave of enthusiasm created by the success of the Sacro Monte di Varallo, forty miles to the west, this Sacro Monte is both spectacle and hagiography, theme park and treatise. Its critical differences from the Sac-ro Monte di Varallo define and contextualize its importance. There are a number of Sacri Monti in Northern Italy, the ones at Varallo and Orta being among the most fully realized and care-fully preserved. Grouped together as World Heritage sites, it is all too easy to note their similarities and diminish their differences; however, when examining Varallo and Orta, the contrast is enlightening as it pertains to understanding the aesthetic and strategic vision of Orta.