Basilica of Superga, Turin

The Basilica of Superga crowns a hill east of Turin, its great dome visible from all over the city: a Baroque masterpiece by Filippo Juvarra, built to fulfil a duke’s vow during the siege of 1706. Beneath it lie the tombs of the House of Savoy; from its dome the Alps stretch across the horizon; and behind it is the memorial to the Grande Torino football team, killed here in 1949. The church is free.

The Basilica of Superga, a Baroque church with a columned portico, a tall dome and twin bell towers, against a blue sky
The Basilica of Superga: Juvarra’s portico, dome and twin towers, on the hill above Turin. Photograph by Anca on Pexels.

A vow in a siege

In the summer of 1706, during the War of the Spanish Succession, a French and Spanish army besieged Turin. By tradition, Duke Victor Amadeus II of Savoy climbed the hill of Superga with his cousin Prince Eugene to look down on the enemy lines, and in the little church on the summit vowed to build a great sanctuary to the Virgin if the city were saved. On 7 September the besiegers were defeated.

The duke, soon to be a king, gave the commission to his architect Filippo Juvarra. The top of the hill was lowered by about 40 metres, the first stone was laid in 1717, and the church was opened on 1 November 1731. Later in the century Victor Amadeus III had a crypt dug beneath it as the burial place of his dynasty.

The Basilica of Superga crowning a green wooded hill, seen from a distance
Superga on its hill, 672 metres up, east of Turin. Photograph by Diana ✨ on Pexels.

The visitor’s cheat sheet

Basilica of Superga at a glance
WhereStrada della Basilica di Superga 75, Turin; tram 15 to Sassi, then the rack tramway
Opening hoursMonday–Friday 10am–1.30pm and 2.30–6pm; weekends and holidays 10am–7pm; shorter hours in winter, from early November to February
AdmissionChurch free; dome €4 (€3 reduced); Royal Tombs €6 (€5); Royal Apartment €6 (€5); free with the Abbonamento Musei and Torino+Piemonte Card
Guided visitsRoyal Tombs roughly every 30–60 minutes, 45 minutes, in Italian; Royal Apartment twice a day (late morning and mid-afternoon)
MassSundays and holidays 11am; Saturdays 6pm
Rack tramwayHourly from Sassi, about 20 minutes; no service on Wednesdays (bus 79 instead)
How longTwo hours with the dome and tombs, plus the journey

Hours and admission checked against the official site in October 2026. They change; the official site is always the last word.

Not on Wednesdays by rack tramway. The basilica is open every day, but the historic rack tramway from Sassi does not run on Wednesdays, when a bus replaces it. The guided visits to the tombs and the apartment are in Italian; tickets can be booked online.

What to see

The church

A portico of eight Corinthian columns, like the front of a Roman temple, leads into a church on an octagonal plan, under a dome about 75 metres high. Over the high altar, a marble relief by Bernardino Cametti shows Blessed Amadeus of Savoy praying to the Virgin for victory in the battle of Turin. In the Chapel of the Vow is the wooden statue of the Madonna before which the duke is said to have made his vow.

Looking up into the dome of the Basilica of Superga, a ring of windows and coffered decoration around the lantern
Inside the dome. Photograph by Paris Orlando on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

The dome

A spiral staircase of 131 steps climbs to the balcony round the dome. On a clear day you see the whole of Turin, the Mole Antonelliana, the plain of the Po and the arc of the Alps, with Monviso to the south-west.

Panoramic view from Superga over the wooded hills, the city of Turin and the plain towards the Alps
The view from Superga over Turin towards the Alps. Photograph by Mikki65~commonswiki on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

The Royal Tombs

The neoclassical crypt, built in 1774–78, holds the tombs of the House of Savoy, from Victor Amadeus II to Charles Albert, father of the first king of Italy, with marble monuments by the Collino brothers and others. The visit route also includes the Hall of the Popes, hung with portraits of the popes from St Peter onwards.

The marble tomb of King Charles Albert of Sardinia in the royal crypt of Superga, with a sculpted figure on the sarcophagus
The tomb of King Charles Albert, in the royal crypt. Photograph by Jastrow on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0).
The Hall of the Popes at Superga, its walls covered in rows of painted portraits of popes
The Hall of the Popes, lined with portraits of the popes. Photograph by Marie-Lan Taÿ Pamart on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0).

The Royal Apartment

Off the convent, the rooms where the royal family stayed on their visits to Superga can be seen on a guided visit, twice a day.

The Grande Torino

On 4 May 1949 the plane carrying the Torino football team, the “Grande Torino”, champions of Italy five times in a row either side of the war, came down in fog on the way home from a match in Lisbon and struck the retaining wall behind the basilica. All 31 people on board were killed, among them 18 players, almost the entire first team. A memorial with their names marks the spot, and every year on 4 May fans climb the hill for a ceremony.

The memorial to the Grande Torino football team behind the basilica, a stone with a cross set into an ivy-covered wall
The memorial to the Grande Torino, behind the basilica. Photograph by Unknown (released into the public domain) on Wikimedia Commons (public domain).

Tours and where to stay

Tickets for the dome, tombs and apartment are sold at the basilica and on its website. Most visitors come up for half a day from Turin.

Superga tours Where to stay in Turin

These links go to GetYourGuide and Booking.com. This site earns nothing from them at present — they are here because they are the quickest way to check what is actually available.

Don’t miss

  • The view from the dome Turin and the Alps.
  • The rack tramway Up the hill since 1884.
  • The Royal Tombs The dynasty of Savoy.
  • The Hall of the Popes The line of popes in portraits.
  • The Grande Torino memorial Behind the basilica.

Insider tips

Ride the rack tramway. The Sassi–Superga line opened in 1884 and still runs with restored 1930s cars, climbing about 3 km through the woods in some 20 minutes. Come on a clear morning for the Alps, and remember that on Wednesdays it is replaced by a bus.

Common questions

Is the Basilica of Superga free?

The church and the Chapel of the Vow are free. The climb to the dome costs €4 (€3 reduced), and the guided visits to the Royal Tombs and to the Royal Apartment cost €6 each (€5 reduced). They are free with the Abbonamento Musei and the Torino+Piemonte Card.

How do you get to Superga?

Take tram 15 from the centre of Turin to Sassi, then the Sassi–Superga rack tramway up the hill, about 20 minutes, roughly hourly; on Wednesdays it does not run and bus 79 replaces it. You can also drive to the forecourt.

Can you climb the dome at Superga?

Yes: 131 steps up a spiral staircase to the balcony round the dome, in groups of up to twelve. It is not open to children under six, and closes in bad weather, strong wind or great heat.

Who is buried at Superga?

The crypt beneath the church, built in 1774–78, holds the tombs of the House of Savoy, among them Victor Amadeus II, who vowed the basilica, and King Charles Albert. The kings of united Italy are buried elsewhere: Victor Emmanuel II and Umberto I in the Pantheon in Rome, Victor Emmanuel III at Vicoforte and Umberto II at Hautecombe in Savoy.

What happened at Superga in 1949?

On 4 May 1949 the plane bringing the Grande Torino football team home from Lisbon crashed in fog into the wall behind the basilica, killing all 31 people on board. A memorial behind the basilica is visited by fans, and a ceremony is held there every 4 May.

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