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The 167.5 metre high Mole Antonelliana is the tallest masonry building in Italy. From the top of the Mole, visitors can look onto the entire city of Turin with a 360° view of its rooftops and the Po river, which looks like a glittering strip that cuts across the city. Designed by Alessandro Antonelli as a Jewish temple, construction was completed in 26 years, due to financial trouble and some doubts as to the building’s stability. A visit to the Mole is an experience in itself, even before you’ve reached its terrace. In fact, a completely transparent lift takes visitors up to the top of the building, thus making it possible to admire the stuccoes that decorate the vault. Most of all, the journey up in the lift is similar to floating in the void inside the building's dome. The Mole Antonelliana currently hosts the National Museum of Cinema. Information and Timetable
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 The Egyptian Museum in Turin is the most important in the world after Cairo. It contains incredibly important finds which were brought to Italy thanks to Italian archaeological expeditions. The first collection of Egyptian antiquities that led to the opening of the museum, in 1824, dates back to the work of Bernardino Drovetti. The initial 5628 finds are now located beside those of the expeditions of the early 20th Century, when any finds from the digs were still divided up between Egypt and the expeditions. The museum was built in such a way as to enable a dual visit to Egypt, either chronologically (on the ground floor) or following a thematic trail (on the first floor). Genuine sites, tombs and temples have been reconstructed inside the museum, and these can be visited “from the inside” in a 360° journey. The Museum currently holds approximately 30,000 finds, in a trail that starts in the Palaeolithic age and continues to the annexation of Egypt to the Roman Empire and the spreading of Christianity with the diffusion of the Coptic language. Information and Timetable |
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 The Shroud is one of the most important relics in Christian tradition. The shroud (from the Greek “sheet”) is said to be the very one used on the body of Christ when he was buried and then found by the Apostles in the empty sepulchre after his resurrection. Tests performed on the fabric were unable to guarantee its authenticity nor to explain the presence of the image of a man imprinted on the fabric, since there is no evidence of any ink or paint, leaving the mystery surrounding the item more or less unsolved. The Museum of the Shroud was set up in the crypt of the church of the holy Shroud (chiesa del SS. Sudario), on which restoration work was completed in 1998. In addition to the Holy Shroud, the museum guards religious items, including the Sixteenth century silver and hard stone reliquary which contained the Shroud up until 1998. Artistic contributions and the accounts of the scientific enquiry complete the visit, providing the most exhaustive information about the Shroud. Information and Timetable |
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The Superga basilica was built by Victor Amadeus II of Savoy as a consequence of a vow he had made. Having climbed to the top of Superga hill before facing Louis XIV’s French army, he addressed the Virgin Mary to petition for her mercy in granting them this victory and thus keep Turin and the whole of Piedmont independent. Construction work on the Basilica went on for over 14 years, from 1717 to 1731. Under the supervision of the Messina-born architect and abbot Filippo Juvarra, the existing church was torn down and Superga hill was lowered by 40 m. The Basilica attracts tourists and pilgrims from all over the world. The church dome affords a truly breathtaking view. The church also offers architectural masterpieces and figurative artworks provided by the Savoy family to adorn the basilica and some of its lay parts. The Sanctuary and its complex are also a favourite among pilgrims and guest quarters are available, run by the monks from the Ordine dei Servi di Maria (Order of Mary’s Servants). Appropriate clothing is recommended when visiting the Basilica and the museum’s rooms (royal tombs, etc.). It is cooler inside the crypts than it is outside. Information and Timetable
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We suggest to visit also: Palazzo Madama, Reggia di Venaria, Castello di Rivalta, Lingotto, Museo dell'Automobile, Galleria Sabauda, Orto Botanico.
Lot of thanks to A-Torino.com |
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