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| Basilica of Superga | |
|---|---|
Basilica di Superga | |
.jpg) The Basilica of Superga | |
  Basilica of Superga Map ofTurin | |
| 45°04′51″N7°46′03″E / 45.08083°N 7.76750°E /45.08083; 7.76750 | |
| Country | Italy |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| Website | Official website |
| History | |
| Consecrated | 1 November 1731 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect | Filippo Juvarra |
| Style | Latebaroque,neoclassical |
| Groundbreaking | 1717 |
| Completed | 1731 |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Turin |
TheBasilica of Superga (Italian:Basilica di Superga) is a hilltopCatholicbasilica inSuperga, in the vicinity ofTurin, Italy.
The church was built from 1717 to 1731 forVictor Amadeus II of Savoy,[1] designed byFilippo Juvarra,[2] at the top of the hill ofSuperga.
This fulfilled a vow the duke (and future King ofSardinia) had made during theBattle of Turin, after defeating the besieging French army in theWar of the Spanish Succession.[2] The architect alluded to earlier styles while adding a baroque touch. The church contains the tombs of many princes and kings of theHouse of Savoy, including theMonument to Carlo Emanuele III (1733) byIgnazio Collino and his brother Filippo. Under the church are the tombs of the Savoy family, including most of its members, among themCharles Albert.
This church by Juvarra is considered late Baroque-Classicism.[3] The dome was completed in 1726 and resembles some elements ofMichelangelo's dome atSt. Peter's Basilica. This is no coincidence as Juvarra studied and worked inRome for ten years prior to working in Turin. The temple front protrudes from a dome structure, citing thePantheon. The temple front is larger than typical proportions because the Superga is set upon this hill. It is also believed that Victor Amadeus wanted the basilica to rest on this hill as a reminder of the power of the Savoy family, as well as to continue a line of sight to the existingCastle of Rivoli. Later, thePalazzina di caccia of Stupinigi completed the triangle between the three residences of Savoy.
The Royal Crypt of Superga is the burial place of the Savoy family.[4]
The history of the church can be traced to 2 September 1706, when Duke Victor Amadeus II of Savoy and the Prince ofCarignano,Eugene of Savoy climbed the hill to see Turin besieged by Franco-Spanish forces during theWar of the Spanish Succession. Victor Amadeus, having knelt in front of an old prop, swore that, in case of victory, he would have a monument built to our Lady (the Virgin Mary). From dawn until the early hours of the afternoon of 7 September, the armies clashed in the fields at Jaya andMadonna di Campagna. Piedmontese armies achieved victory over the French. After Victor Amedeus was crownedKing of Sicily, he entrusted the design of this building to Filippo Juvarra.
The rear supporting wall of the Basilica was the site of theSuperga air disaster in 1949, which took the lives of theGrande Torino football team.[5]
The royal crypt is the traditional burial place of members of theHouse of Savoy, successivelyDukes of Savoy,Kings of Sardinia andKings of Italy.[4] Two kings of Italy,Victor Emmanuel II andUmberto I, have been interred in thePantheon, Rome. The earlier generations of the House of Savoy, as well as the last king of Italy,Umberto II, are buried inHautecombe Abbey, the ancestral burial site of the family inSavoy.[6]
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| Basilica and Cathedral | ||
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