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Basilica of Superga

The Savoy votive basilica crowning Turin's eastern hill, and the site of the 1949 Grande Torino disaster.

  • Turin
  • Church
Plan your visit
Where
Turin
Best for
Juvarra's hilltop dome
Allow
2 hours
Tickets
From €6
Checked September 2026

Filippo Juvarra set this domed basilica on Superga's summit between 1717 and 1731 to honor a vow Victor Amadeus II made during the 1706 siege of Turin, promising a shrine to the Virgin if the city held.

It held, on September 7, 1706, and Juvarra's dome, echoing Michelangelo's at Saint Peter's, has crowned the hill ever since. The Savoys chose its crypt for their tombs, and dukes, kings of Sardinia, and Italy's own monarchs lie there today. The hill carries a second, darker memory: on May 4, 1949, a plane carrying the Grande Torino football team crashed into the basilica's retaining wall, killing everyone aboard, a disaster still marked every year by fans who climb up to the wall.

Five things worth finding

If you see nothing else, see these.

  1. Juvarra’s domeFilippo Juvarra, 1717-1731

    A double-shell dome, echoing Michelangelo’s at Saint Peter’s, rises above a columned portico.Top of the basilica

  2. The Royal CryptSavoy tombs

    Victor Amadeus II and Charles Emmanuel III are among the Savoys buried here.Beneath the church

  3. The Royal ApartmentsSavoy residence

    Rooms where the royal family rested on visits to the shrine.Convent wing

  4. The Sala dei PapiPortrait collection

    A chronological series of canvases portraying every pope from Saint Peter onward.Convent

  5. The Grande Torino memorialMemorial plaque

    A plaque on the retaining wall remembers the 1949 air crash that killed the Torino team.Rear wall

Plan your visit

Everything you need before you go.

Tickets
From €6
Booking
No booking needed
Time needed
2 hours
Best time
Clear mornings for the Alps view from the dome, or a summer evening for the sunset opening
Getting there
The historic rack tramway (tranvia a dentiera) climbs to Superga from Sassi, on Turin's eastern edge, reachable by city tram; the hill can also be reached by road or on foot through the park.

The church and Chapel of the Vow are free to enter. The dome balcony climb costs €4 (reduced €3) and closes in bad weather, strong wind, or heat above 32°C. Guided visits to the Royal Tombs or Royal Apartments cost €6 (reduced €5) and run in escorted groups only; Royal Apartment visits are limited to two tours a day. Last updated September 2026. Prices change, so check the official site before you go.

Take the rack tramway up rather than driving: the ride itself, clanking up the hillside through the park, is as much a part of the visit as the basilica at the top.

Official website
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Good to know

How long should you spend at Superga?

Allow about two hours, including the ride or climb, the basilica and the terrace. More if you visit the crypt and royal apartments.

How do you get to Superga?

The historic rack tramway runs from Sassi up to the hill, and is half the fun. You can also drive or walk through the park.

Is Superga worth the trip from central Turin?

Yes, on a clear day: the terrace gives the best overview of the city and the Alps, and the basilica is a fine Baroque landmark. On a hazy day the view is the main thing you would miss.

More to see nearby

Same city first, then the nearest across the region.

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