Hill and the Basilica of Superga

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Hill and the Basilica of Superga:

The Basilica di Superga, known and dear to the Savoy, is located on a strategic hill in Turin, at the top of the town gives a view over the entire Torino provided that the smog will not obscure the view ,....... ...
Sunday 22 February, a beautiful sunny day, I want the right bank of the river Po in Turin and direction from C.so Moncalieri and C.so Casale, a tract on the right find the turning point for the basilica.
The road is uphill, not too close and you will arrive at a large dirt parking lot adjacent to the basilica which is very beautiful and stands on top of the hill.
Externally well preserved and restored stands out with its bright colors, the colonnade, the bell tower. the dome, the cloister and building on the back.
4 euros you can 'climb on the terrace under the dome, with no less than one hundred small steps and moves on a spiral staircase takes you to where you have a beautiful view.
within the church is not accessible at this time because in the full process of total internal renovation and is a unique scaffolding ..... a pity!
Two visits to the tourist potential by going to the left of the church: a visit to the tombs of the royal Savoia (recommended) and that the real apartments (I have not done so).
The visit to the royal tombs of the Savoy takes about 50 minutes and is really interesting, luck is also in having a guide that makes you appreciate the explanation that in itself is a purely historical .....
All tours are guided, 5 euros per head for access, you create groups of 10/15 people and is accessed from the cloister where the guide will give 'a basic understanding on the general church, construction, history and personalities of the time. From here you enter the room then the popes, interesting this room contains all the pictures hanging on the walls of all the popes of Rome existed so far from those known to the ancients, a room with that curious (if not mistaken) something like about 270 paintings.
From there we dropped down a marble staircase and clear which leads to the tombs of royals and during the descent we had clarifications and explanations on crowns and statues, paintings and symbolism .....
The crypt is very wide and is composed of more rooms, the middle and has the largest graves and memorial stones of the greatest kings of Italy and Sardinia, dukes and princes, queens and sons of kings of the time. The tombs are marble with colors from white to pink, green and brown, draperies, paintings, cherubs and statues, tombs rich and finely decorated, the most 'luxurious certainly one of the king.
The guide knew how to attract the attention of the group concerned with wisdom and gave many details which might seem tedious but so 'was not.
In the room of the tombs of children, all sons of kings that have followed, are all the prince and princesses who unfortunately have passed a better life at a tender age ', many have seen the high rate of child deaths. Crucial year was 1855 that saw the death of queens, kings and princes, years of illness and losses in the House of Savoy.
Some are on the Pantheon in Rome and Superga have a commemorative plaque, while others are Superga are just as consorts of kings but in truth are native foreign countries (Portugal, Austria, Germany .....).
Every self-respecting King has his statue depicting the love, generosity, knowledge, luck, wisdom, hope, war ........
Guides are volunteers Superga while the cloister and the church are run by only 4 of the brothers of Mary, the religious functions at this time are interrupted by the work of restoration.
Interesting history of the construction of the basilica, the first stone was laid in 1713 and vote for the will of the king of that time who won the battle against the French.
About an hour of access in a climate and temperature is not too healthy since the cold and the moisture underground, certainly in the summer tour is slightly more enjoyable from this point of view.
I think the interesting royal apartments that I have visited, the visit also takes around 50 minutes.
Council visit to the basilica and the royal tombs, in a sunny day and maybe the spring, the hill offers a great panorama. The basilica is accessed with a train running from C.so Casale in Turin, where there is a small and colorful carinissima stazioncina, the scene in climbing the hill is very beautiful.