My daughter and I visited several of Italy's sacred mounts last year. At the Sacro Monte di Varallo, one cannot help but admire the incredible lifelike detail of the many sculptured wooden figures. The picture in this entry is of the Sleeping Madonna. The life-size statue rests in the Basilica of the Assumption, which is the most important chapel at the devotional complex. It's impossible no to admire the devotion, talent and brilliance of the sculptor (Gaudenzio Ferrari is attributed). You feel as though the Madonna is truly peacefully asleep and might just open her eyes at any moment.