Superga Cathedral

About

The Basilica of Superga originated in a vow made by Victor Amadeus II, Duke of Savoy, who prayed to the Virgin Mary for victory during the siege of Turin in the War of the Spanish Succession in 1706 and pledged to build a church in her honor. Architect Filippo Juvarra designed the basilica, with construction beginning on July 20, 1717, and completed on November 1, 1731. The royal crypt beneath the basilica holds the tombs of Savoy family members including Victor Amadeus II, Charles Emmanuel III, Charles Albert, and Victor Emmanuel I. On May 4, 1949, an aircraft carrying the Torino football club (the Grande Torino), returning from a friendly match in Lisbon, crashed into the retaining wall behind the basilica, killing all 31 people on board.