Gaudenzio Ferrari
«Der große Kalvarienberg»

An early large-scale media project intended to produce an overwhelming presence and deep impression of life is marked by the movement of the Sacri Monti, dioramic image-spaces, as though on a beaded string of well-ordered chapels, which made their way along the Alps and were later exported throughout the entire Catholic world. The illusionary space created 1518 in Varallo, and enhanced by a dreamlike ambience, « Der große Kalvarienberg» (The Great Calvary) by Gaudenzio Ferrari—in his time as well-known as Leonardo or Michelangelo—transported the viewer into a seemingly historic location, and irresistibly fixed the inner images, the memorial exposition of believers. Through the structure of illusionary frescos and sculptured interior images that immediately reach out toward the viewer, one becomes deeply involved in whatever occurs here and, to an extent, part of the staging. [...] The chapels were inspected by night, illuminated by the flames of torches, heightening the living illusion effect even more. This form of illusionism simulates a real presence using all the media-related means available at that time. So the monks accompanying visitors through these image-spaces often felt the need to remind the pilgrims that this was not the real Jerusalem.
OG
(Source: http://www.ekac.org/grautrans.html)