Hermitages
Once you reach the summit of the mountain, a "Return Route" leads back to the Sanctuary, so that the pilgrims can go back along a different route - currently not accessible - also representing a spiritual itinerary. The "Return Route" has been studied in order to represent a further moment of reflection through the images of the saints.
Differently from the route studied for the chapels, for the "romitori" (that is, the hermitages, solitary places ideal for meditation) there was not a project specifying the number, position, and sequence of the themes to represent. The choice seems to depend on the economic possibilities of the proponent and his particular devotion.
Today, five hermitages remain, some of them renovated in the 19th century: Sepolcreto dei Frati (former Sant'Alessio), Addolorata, San Rocco, San Francesco, San Luca.
