Basilica di Superga

The Basilica of Superga, designed by Filippo Juvarra, crowns the hill east of Turin. It commemorates a vow made by Duke Vittorio Amedeo II during the 1706 siege and contains the royal tombs of the House of Savoy.

Why it matters

In 1706, during the siege of Turin, Vittorio Amedeo II vowed to build a church on Superga if the city were liberated. Juvarra's basilica was built between 1717 and 1731 as fulfilment of that vow. The complex later became the burial place of the House of Savoy. It is also a place of remembrance for the Grande Torino football team, killed in the 1949 air disaster on the hillside below.

What to notice

The basilica's classical façade is framed by an eight-column portico, drum and dome. Inside, the circular nave opens onto chapels with Baroque altarpieces. The Tombe Reali beneath the church contain the tombs of members of the Savoy dynasty. A memorial at the site recalls the 1949 crash.

Context and history

Juvarra's church was commissioned after Turin's liberation in 1706 and completed in 1731. The royal apartments record the court's later use of the hill, while the Tombe Reali became the dynastic burial place. On 4 May 1949 an aircraft carrying the Grande Torino team crashed into the hillside, creating a lasting memorial association with the basilica.