This important church and symbol of Turin sits perched atop the Superga hill (669 meters above sea level) overlooking the city. The great Filippo Juvarra designed the church after the Treaty of Utrecht (1713), and the Basilica soon became a symbol of the Savoy wealth and power. The Basilica (whose cupola is 75 meters tall) served as the burial site of the Savoy family from Vittorio Amedeo II to Carlo Alberto. Today the Basilica di Superga is the site of religious pilgrimages as well as a favorite spot for young couples who love the panorama (a tramvia or cable car was set up in 1934 to facilitate the ascent). Here a plaque memorializes the tragedy of the “Grande Torino” airplane crash of May 4, 1949 which claimed the lives of the Torino Football Club players. Jean-Jacques Rosseau describes the panorama in his “L’Emile”: “le plus beeau tableau donět L’oeil humain puisse etre frappe”. |
