Superga and its magnificent monumental, iconic Basilica located on a beautiful hill of the same name at 672.0 meters above sea level, a hill that is part of the Po Hills north-east of Turin that gave inspiration for its poetic and evocative images to illustrious writers such as Edmondo de Amicis and Jean-Jacques Rousseau as well as to Pope Pius XII who defined it as "the most beautiful panorama in Europe".
The Roya Basilica of Superga is located on a large churchyard that forms a large square: on the right side stands a monument commemorating the assassination of King Umberto I of Savoy that honors the Monarch killed in Monza on July 29, 1900 by the anarchist Gaetano Bresci.
This work was carried out in 1902 by the Milanese sculptor Tancredi Pozzi on commission from the deceased's son, Prince Vittorio Emanuele III.
The sculpture was made using a granite column with a bronze capital and immortalizing an eagle pierced by an arrow, a scene representing the death of the Savoy Sovereign, while at the base was placed a statue of a Celtic warrior, emblem of Turin, with a collar of the Santa Annunziata, one hand turned towards the sky and in the other a sword and a Savoyard shield.
The Basilica was built by the Duke of Savoy and King of Sardinia Vittorio Amedeo II as a vote of thanks to the Madonna for the triumph obtained against the French army that sieged Turin in 1706.
The construction operations saw the talented architect Filippo Juvarra from Messina as the protagonist with a project dating back to 1711 and construction that began on July 20, 1717 and lasted for about 14 years.
These works lasted so long for the transport of building materials that at the time they could be carried out via an impervious stony mountain path using pack animals such as donkeys and mules with obvious, numerous logistical difficulties.
The official inauguration took place on November 1, 1731 with the solemn presence of King Carlo Emanuele II of Savoy.
You will be able to observe the details of this 51.0-meter-long masterpiece that combines sublime architectural elements of the late Baroque with others of Renaissance taste with eight beautiful Corinthian columns that support a refined pronaos, a work inspired by the Pantheon in Rome.
Of great artistic and architectural value is the large portico surmounted by a tympanum that looks like a sort of neoclassical temple in the shadow of a majestic baroque dome 75.0 meters high above a drum with windows and two bell towers that follow the style of the famous architect of Bissone Francesco Borromini , very active in Rome at the Papal State.
The masonry work, as well as that of the stuccoes, was assigned to the Italian-Swiss sculptor and stucco artist from Cannobio, Pietro Filippo Somazzi.
Visiting the interior, developed on a large octagonal Greek cross plan splendidly decorated containing various sculptures made by the brothers Filippo and Ignazio Collino, you can admire the beautiful chapels frescoed by Beaumont and Ricci and the wonderful marble altarpieces made by the sculptors Cornacchini and Cametti.
On the left side you can enter the Royal Crypt, a burial area that honors the Kings and Princes of the Savoy Dynasty created at the desire of the King of Sardinia Vittorio Amedeo III where the remains of Vittorio Amedeo II, Carlo Emanuele III, Carlo Alberto and Vittorio Emanuele I are kept.
You will also observe a plaque commemorating Charles Felix of Savoy whose remains lie at his request in the Cistercian Abbey of Altacomba in French Savoy where the mausoleum of this noble family is located.
Moving behind the Basilica where the Convent is located, a residence that was occupied by the Congregation of Regular Priests hosted on site at the behest of King Vittorio Amedeo of Savoy, then replaced in 1966 by the Fathers of the Order of the Servants of Mary.
Crossing the beautiful cloister you will reach the Hall of the Popes which houses all the portraits exhibited on one wall of the Pontiffs of the Holy Roman Church, from St. Peter's to the last, while on the other there are those of the Savoy Dukes opposed to the Papal States of the Papal Vatican, namely Amedeo VIII and Felix V of Savoy.
From there you will cross the threshold that leads to the royal apartments occupied in the past by the rulers whenever they visited the Basilica.
The last stage will be dedicated to the plaque dedicated to the tragedy of May 4, 1949 corresponding to the crash of the plane of the Grande Torino of Valentino Mazzola, a phenomenal Italian football team that tragically died in that event on its return from a match played in Portugal in the capital Lisbon.
All the names are solemnly commemorated, a place that became a real pilgrimage site for sportsmen and women and non-sportsmen and women, remembering those athletes who won various championships and represented at the time the best football team in the peninsula, while the wall on which the plane ended up was not rebuilt.
At the end of the visit, time for your lunch, I recommend as traditional local first courses Agnolotti alla Piemontese or Risotto al Vino Rosso with Sausage, second courses to choose between Baked Trout in Sauce with a side of Carrots and Steamed Potatoes or Grilled Pork Ribs with Fried Celery and Fennel.
The visit to Superga is very fascinating, art, history, beautiful landscapes, the view of Turin from above, a place that will surely remain alive in your happy memories.
Link : https://www.basilicadisuperga.com/en/
Where
to Stay | Recommended Accomodationin Turin
Hotel Best Western Plus Executive Hotel and Suites
Hotel NH Collection Torino Santo Stefano
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