Juvarra's basilica on the hill and the Grande Torino tragedy
On the top of the Superga hill, at 672 metres, east of Turin, stands the Basilica of Superga, the masterpiece of the Sicilian architect Filippo Juvarra. It was built between 1717 and 1731 in fulfilment of a vow made by Duke Victor Amadeus II of Savoy in 1706: during the siege of Turin by the French, he climbed the hill with Prince Eugene of Savoy to study the enemy positions and promised to build a basilica dedicated to the Virgin if the city were freed. The victory came a few days later.
The basilica, with a columned portico, a great dome and two bell towers, dominates the city and is visible from far away. Beneath it, the Royal Crypt holds the tombs of the Savoy, kings, queens and princes, from Victor Amadeus II to Charles Albert. From the square in front of the church there is one of the most beautiful views of Turin and the arc of the Alps, from Monviso to Monte Rosa. Superga is also linked to a tragedy: on 4 May 1949, the plane carrying the Grande Torino, the legendary football team that had won five consecutive championships, crashed in the fog into the wall behind the basilica, killing all 31 people on board. A memorial at the site of the crash is a place of pilgrimage for football fans. The hill can be reached by the Sassi-Superga rack railway, opened in 1884.
Tip: the old rack railway climbs from Sassi in about 20 minutes; climb the dome for an even wider view.
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