FAI Spring Days at the Sanctuary of the SS. Crocifisso in Boca

A weekend discovering the Sanctuary of Boca

The FAI Spring Days are the national event through which the Fondo Ambiente Italiano (FAI) opens extraordinary, often little-known or inaccessible places to the public for an entire weekend. In Boca, a small town in the Province of Novara, in the heart of Piedmont, the absolute star is the Sanctuary of the SS. Crocifisso, a monumental complex linked to the name of Alessandro Antonelli, the architect of the Mole Antonelliana in Turin and the dome of San Gaudenzio in Novara.

The Sanctuary and the genius of Antonelli

Nestled in the hills of the Upper Novara region and surrounded by vineyards, the Sanctuary was born from popular devotion: the first stone was blessed in 1768 and the building was inaugurated in 1773. At the beginning of the 19th century, a young Antonelli, originally from nearby Ghemme and then an engineering student in Turin, was involved in the expansion of the complex, which he envisioned as a grandiose semicircular portico. It is this neoclassical and monumental imprint that makes the Boca site an unmissable stop for those who want to follow "in the footsteps of Antonelli" throughout the Novara area.

Tours with the 'Apprendisti Ciceroni'

During the FAI Days, tours are led by Apprendisti Ciceroni, student volunteers trained by FAI to share the heritage with visitors. In Boca, the baton is passed to the students of the "Felice Casorati" High School in Romagnano Sesia. The opening of the Sanctuary is part of the program organized by the FAI Lago Alto Novarese Group and is one of the many sites opened in the Province of Novara for the occasion.

A national event, a local experience

Every year, the FAI Spring Days involve hundreds of locations across Italy, from large cities to the most hidden villages. Participating in Boca means combining the discovery of a masterpiece of Piedmontese architecture with a walk among the colors and flavors of the Novara wine hills, while supporting FAI's mission to protect the country's artistic and landscape heritage.