Basilica di Superga

Duke Vittorio Amedeo II made his vow in 1706, watching from this very hilltop as Turin held off a French siege below — if the city survived, he promised, he would build a church to the Virgin Mary on the spot. Turin did survive, and the duke kept his word, commissioning architect Filippo Juvarra to design the basilica; construction ran from 1717 to 1731, raising a drum-and-dome silhouette, flanked by twin bell towers and fronted by a deep classical portico, that still crowns the 672-metre hill and is visible across much of the city below.

Beneath the church, the Royal Crypt holds the tombs of Savoy kings and princes, including Vittorio Amedeo II himself, who commissioned the building he would eventually be buried in. The Sassi-Superga cogwheel tramway, in continuous service since 1884, has carried generations of visitors up the steep final stretch, turning the climb itself into part of the experience rather than a hurdle to it.

A sombre plaque on the basilica's outer wall marks one of Italian sport's darkest days: on 4 May 1949, a plane carrying the Grande Torino football team — reigning champions of Italy and the backbone of the national side — crashed into the basilica's retaining wall in thick fog on the return flight from a match in Lisbon, killing everyone on board. The disaster wiped out arguably the strongest club side Italy has ever produced, and Torino FC fans still make the pilgrimage up the hill every 4 May to lay wreaths at the site.

The Sassi-Superga tramway that carries visitors up today is itself a small piece of engineering history: opened in 1884, it remains one of the oldest rack railways still operating anywhere, climbing gradients steep enough that a standard adhesion railway couldn't manage the final approach without the cogwheel mechanism.

The basilica church itself can be visited freely, but the Royal Crypt and the climb up into the dome are covered by a separate paid ticket — worth it for anyone interested in Savoy history or for the views from the dome gallery over the Turin plain toward the Alps. Combine the visit with the historic tramway ride up from Sassi station, which is as much a part of the outing as the basilica itself.

Hours run shorter in winter, so check before setting out, especially if you're planning to combine the crypt and dome visit with time to properly take in the view — allow at least half a day for the round trip from central Turin including the tram ride up and down.