Brief synthesisThe property “Sacri Monti” or “Sacred Mountains of Piedmont and Lombardy” consist of a series of nine separate complexes located in the mountains of Northern Italy (Varallo, Crea, Orta, Varese, Oropa, Ossuccio, Ghiffa, Domodossola, and Valperga). The phenomenon of Sacri Monti began at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries with the aim of creating places of prayer in Europe as an alternative to the Holy Land (Jerusalem and Palestine). An essential feature of the Sacri Monti is that they preserve intimate links with not only the natural landscape but also the neighbouring human communities. Protection and management requirementsThe nine complexes that form the Sacri Monti are found in several provinces across the two regions of Piedmont and Lombardy. The seven Sacri Monti located in Piedmont are regulated by the regional Law on Parks and Natural Reserves integrated with the urban plans of the surrounding municipalities.