account Mole Antonelliana: unmistakable icon of Turin
Initially conceived as a Synagogue, the Mole Antonelliana is today the architectural symbol of Turin with its 167 meters of height. It stands out over the city with its elegant 19th-century eclectic architecture and houses the National Cinema Museum. A tourist destination par excellence, it dominates the historic center and from its highest point allows visitors to admire a splendid urban panorama that meets the imposing Alpine arc on the horizon: two giants confronting each other from a distance.
The history and style of the monument symbol of Turin
Designed by Alessandro Antonelli in 1863, it owes its name partly to the Piedmontese architect who conceived its structure and partly to the record that from 1889 to 1908 elected the Mole as the tallest masonry building in the world. The weather has never been particularly kind to what is currently the second tallest monument in Turin after the San Paolo Skyscraper (180 meters). In 1904, in fact, a violent thunderstorm struck down the Winged Genius: a statue depicting the symbol of the House of Savoy placed at the top of the five-star spire. It miraculously escaped the bombings that destroyed the historic center of Turin during the Second World War and underwent a further revision in 1955 when adverse weather caused the collapse of almost 50 meters of spire.
Conceived according to Neo-Gothic and Neoclassical forms, the Mole rises for the first 30 meters with Baveno granite columns, continues from 40 to 80 meters with the large dome in the shape of a spire, rises for another 20 meters with a structure called Tempietto, continues with the 18 meters of the second spire called Lanterna and finally ends with the spire cusp and with the twelve-pointed star. Initially it was an Israelite temple of 70 meters that was not particularly appreciated by the Jewish Community of Turin due to the continuous additional costs to progressively reinforce and weld the building. For this reason, the members of the Community decided to sell the structure to the Municipality of Turin and to build their own synagogue in the San Salvario district.
A look at the city from 85 meters of height
The panoramic elevator, inaugurated in 1961 on the occasion of the celebrations for the Centenary of the Unification of Italy, allows you to go up inside to 85 meters by means of a cabin with transparent crystal walls. The ride takes place in a single open-air span without intermediate floors starting from 10 meters. It ends the ascent at the Tempietto. Visitors can then continue on foot up the stairs of the dome's cavity until they reach the panoramic Terrace that overlooks the city. The view is extraordinary.
The National Cinema Museum at the Mole Antonelliana
Among the most important in the world for the extraordinary richness of the exhibition setup, the National Cinema Museum develops in a spiral on several floors. The particular internal architecture thus generates a spectacular presentation made of scenographies and light effects in which to immerse oneself in the magic of cinema. Through an interactive itinerary, the museum allows to discover the secrets hidden behind the camera and the operations that precede the projection of films. It starts from shadow theater and magic lanterns, in a journey that continues with today's special effects and even virtual reality. The advice is to purchase the ticket online, especially for access to the panoramic elevator.
The floor dedicated to the Archaeology of Cinema hosts eight thematic areas to experience optical shows and the devices that marked the fundamental stages of the birth of cinema. The heart of the Museum is the Temple Hall, with exhibition areas dedicated to the great genres of the history of cinema, to the masterpiece of Italian silent cinema, Cabiria, and to CineVR: the first Italian cinema hall dedicated to VR (Virtual Reality). The Cinema Machine is the area dedicated instead to the phases of the film industry: production studios (with a tribute to Titanus), directing, screenwriting, actors, star system, stage costumes, scenography, storyboarding and cinema hall.
From the Hall, one accesses the Ramp which, like a film strip, unwinds upwards towards the dome: the path is home to temporary exhibitions and allows to admire the Hall from above in a spectacular and breathtaking vision.
The surroundings of the Mole Antonelliana
In addition to being the symbol of Turin and Piedmont, the Mole is practically in the heart of the city, a stone's throw from all the other most important monuments and places of interest. In just fifteen minutes you can reach the area where the Egyptian Museum is located: from here visit Piazza San Carlo with the equestrian statue of Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia and let yourself be conquered by the aristocratic charm of the city's living room.
Still starting from the Mole, in a north-east direction, reach Corso S.Maurizio, enter the Gardens and indulge in a walk in the Royal Museums of the Sabauda Gallery: art, exhibitions and museums await you for an extraordinary journey into culture. Behind it is also Porta Palatina, an important monument of Turin, one of the best preserved examples of an urban gate. Or extend a little further to discover the Royal Palace with the Royal Armory, the Museum of Antiquities, the Royal Library, the Chapel of the Holy Shroud and the Chiablese Halls. Continuing on foot always in a north-east direction, you finally arrive at the Quadrilatero district where Piazza Statuto is located: one of the most important in the western area of the historic center , the last of the Risorgimento period and of the Savoyard capital with elegant palaces and wide porticoes along its perimeter.
The city capital of Piedmont is one of the most enchanting places in Italy, a crossroads of Risorgimento history and Savoyard architecture, a cultural center of the highest value, a green and gastronomic city, with a fascinating and regal atmosphere. Come and visit it, and treat yourself to a perfect stay, at the best value for money, at our B&B HOTEL Turin President. We await you.