Basilica di Superga

The Basilica di Superga is a Baroque church sitting atop the Superga hill east of Turin, commissioned in the early 18th century and designed by architect Filippo Juvarra. Construction began after a royal vow and the main building campaign took place in the early 1700s, producing a monumental church with a classical dome and monumental facade.

Key draw points include the basilica interior, the royal burial crypt used by the House of Savoy, and the exterior terraces that offer panoramic views across Turin and toward the Alps. Visitors often combine a visit to the church with the ascent on the historic rack railway.

The basilica was built as an ex voto project for the Savoy dynasty and has since served both as a place of worship and a dynastic mausoleum. Over the centuries it has remained an important regional landmark and a site of remembrance.

Perched on the Superga ridge just outside Turin, the site overlooks the city and the Po valley and is reached by a short ride from central Turin using the Superga rack railway or by road.

• 1949 air disaster memorial: The site is closely associated with the 1949 Superga air disaster, and a memorial for the Torino football team is part of the basilica complex.

What to See #

• Royal crypt: A subterranean royal crypt holds the tombs of members of the House of Savoy and is open to visitors by ticketed access, illustrating dynastic funerary architecture.
• Cupola viewpoint: The basilica's dome provides a panoramic terrace with wide views over Turin, the Po plain and the nearby Alps, reached by climbing an internal stair to the cupola area.
• Superga rack railway: A century-old rack railway links the basilica on the Superga hill with the city below, providing a direct transport route up the hill for visitors and worshippers.