Oropa Sanctuary Italy Souvenir Building

This rare metal replica of the Sanctuary of Oropa is also an inkwell. The real building, Italian: santuario di Oropa, is part of a group of Roman Catholic buildings and structures in the northern municipality of Biella, Italy. This seems to be a replica of the museum building at the complex. According to legend, a black wooden statue of the Virgin Mary carved by Saint Luke was found in Jerusalem by Saint Eusebius of Vercelli and carried to Oropa in the 4th century AD and placed into a small niche in a big boulder. The Sanctuary grew and has been developed through the years into a spectacular architectural ensemble of important monumental buildings. The complex is made up of three large courtyards built on three levels and was designed by the great Savoyard architects Arduzzi, Gallo, Beltramo, Juvarra, Guarini, Galletti and Bonora between the mid 17th and 18th centuries finishing with the Upper Basilica which was consecrated in 1960. The first courtyard, faced by restaurants, bars, and several shops for the visitors, is followed by the wide square containing the Ancient Basilica. It can be reached by the monumental staircase and the Royal Door.