Basilica di Superga

The basilica of Superga, also known as the Real basilica of Superga stands on the hill of the same name, 672 meters above sea level, northeast of Turin. It was built by King Victor Amadeus II as a thanksgiving to the Virgin Mary after defeating the French. For this reason it is considered a "commemorative monument." Apparently, the name Superga has distant Lombard origins and comes from a woman named "Saroperga," who owned the woods on the site. Another supposition is a name of Germanic origin: Serrapergia; however, they are part of the many hypotheses, because they are not supported by certain historical sources.

The design is by the Messina architect, Abbot Filippo Juvarra, and dates from 1715. The chapel, located at the top of the hill of the same name, can be reached by road or by using the Sassi-Superga tramway. The history of the basilica dates back to September 2, 1706, when the Duke of Savoy, Victor Amadeus II, and the Prince of Carignano, Eugene of Savoy, climbed the hill to observe Turin being besieged by the Franco-Spanish. Victor Amadeus, kneeling before an old pillar, vowed that, in case of victory, he would build a monument to Our Lady[2].

And so it came to pass: from dawn until the early afternoon hours of September 7, the French and Piedmontese armies clashed in the fields near Lucento and Madonna di Campagna, and victory was won by the Piedmontese.

Thanks to the victory in the battle, even before the end of the ongoing war against Louis XIV (War of Spanish Succession), Victor Amadeus was crowned king of Sicily and dissolved the vow by entrusting the design of the building to Sicilian Filippo Juvarra (1711).

Construction of the future basilica began on July 20, 1717, and continued for fourteen years. The role of contractor was entrusted to the stucco decorator Pietro Filippo Somazzi, who, in addition to part of the stucco decorations, was also responsible for some of the masonry work.[3] Throughout the construction period, the top of the hill (672 meters, the second highest in Turin) was reached by means of a very bad stony path, and all building materials were transported on the back of a donkey. On November 1, 1731, in the presence of King Charles Emmanuel III of Savoy, the temple was inaugurated in a solemn ceremony.