Basilica di Superga
Basilica di Superga is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided Turin audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~90 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type religious
- Suggested visit ~90 min
- Turin Turin guide
About Basilica di Superga
Juvarra's magnificent hilltop Baroque basilica above Turin, royal Savoyard tombs, sweeping Alpine views, and the site of the 1949 Torino FC plane crash memorial.
The Basilica di Superga stands on a hilltop 672 metres above sea level, eight kilometres east of Turin, and can be seen from virtually anywhere in the city as a pale dome against the sky. It was built between 1717 and 1731 by the architect Filippo Juvarra for Victor Amadeus II of Savoy, who had vowed to build a great church on this hill if God granted him victory over the French and Spanish forces besieging Turin in 1706. The basilica is one of the masterpieces of Italian Baroque architecture, combining a classical Roman-inspired drum and dome with a deep pedimented portico of Corinthian columns. Beneath the basilica lie the remains of virtually every member of the House of Savoy from the early eighteenth century to the unification of Italy in 1861. The basilica is also the site of one of Italian football's greatest tragedies: on 4 May 1949, the aircraft carrying the entire Grande Torino squad, the finest club side in Europe at the time, crashed into the hillside, killing all 31 people on board. A plaque and memorial outside the basilica mark the spot where Italian football's greatest loss occurred.
Did you know? The Basilica di Superga was built to fulfil a royal vow made during the Siege of Turin in 1706, the same siege that inspired Victor Amadeus II to commission Juvarra for the project.
How long should you spend at Basilica di Superga?
Plan about ~90 min at Basilica di Superga. That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is Basilica di Superga worth visiting?
Basilica di Superga is one of the 22 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in Turin, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
Nearby stops in Turin
Hear the story of Basilica di Superga
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