Piemont Tour 2019

Today we start with the round tour through the Piedmont. Superga/Basilica della Natività di Maria Vergin an important pilgrimage church . From where the basilica stands today, Duke Victor Amadeus II observed the siege of Turin in 1706 and vowed to the Mother of God to build a church on this site if Turin was liberated. From 1716, construction work began on the church, which lasted until 1731. The basilica stands imposingly high above Turin. The Superga is a masterpiece of the baroque and a synthesis of architecture.

The interior of the church building (was under renovation) was structured with chapels and decorated with sculptures, paintings and stucco. In the sacramental chapel there is a statue of the Virgin Mary, in front of which Victor Amadeus II is said to have made his vows. In the church there is a crypt, which also served as a mausoleum for the Savoyards, and here are the graves of several dozen members of the nobility. In 1949 the basilica was the scene of an airplane accident that went down in history as the tragedy of Superga. All 31 inmates, most of them players of the football club AC Turin, died.

Umberto I' Monument A progenitor of the Piedmontese with winged helmet, long braids, axe and war horn, on the Corinthian granite column the figure of an eagle with wings spread out, pierced by an arrow, an allegory in memory of the slain King Umberto I;

On the way in the hilly landscape with view of Pavarolo. Pavarolo is famous because painter Casorati bought a small house in the thirties, which he needed as a studio. The tower of the Parrocchia Santa Maria dell'Olmo and the Castello di Pavarolo are two striking buildings overlooking the village

On small side roads, we sometimes meet a tractor.

view to Sciolze with its high church tower and at the top of the hill a stately country house

Map of the first stage through the hills from Turin to Capriglio, the route runs most of the time on the ridges and secondary roads through the area

Shortly before Berzano di San Pietro , sometimes it goes downhill ;-)

Berzano di San Pietro, a municipality with 415 inhabitants. Vines of the Barbera variety are cultivated here for Barbera d'Asti. Barbera is a high-quality grape variety from Piedmont, which was already cultivated in the 13th century, it is considered adaptable and productive. Barbera d'Asti an Italian red wine from 168 municipalities in the provinces of Alessandria and Asti . About 2200 winegrowers, share the vineyards and deliver grapes for 212.000 hl Barbera d'Asti.

Shortly before our destination for the day, our view sees the Colle Don Bosco, with the Basilica di Don Bosco

Basilica of Don Bosco - Colle don Bosco The Basilica stands on the hill where St. John Bosco was born in 1815, who dedicated his life to young people in difficulty. The construction of the basilica began in 1961, the building was completed in a few years, and since 1984 it has been fully accessible.

Start of a tour ,through the basilica Giovanni Melchiorre Bosco (Don Bosco) He was a Catholic priest, youth chaplain and founder of the Salesian order. He was beatified in 1929 and canonized in 1934. He is usually called Don Bosco. A credo of the Salesians says the following: To live as a Salesian is to live in the presence of the loving God in everything one does, in a kind and cordial way.

The Basilica of Don Bosco The basilica consists of two churches built one above the other. The building shell was built in classical forms and according to contemporary models. The interiors are influenced by the trends of the period in which they were built. The two floors of the basilica have a capacity of about 700 seats each. On the lower floor (which was unfortunately closed!) stone dominates mainly marble, while on the upper floor a church within the church was built with wood.

Very noteworthy is the wooden statue (carved in lime wood) of the risen Christ in the apse.

View through the transept to the pinchi pipe organ and to the altar. The large Pinchi organ of the basilica, which was built in 2000, consists of three mechanical manuals and a pedal board with 48 stops.

In the Basilica there are some treasures to discover, fourteen lime wood panels showing the Via Lucis Rite, bronze sculpture of Mary with the Child and Don Bosco with Mother and Child.

three fascinating bronze reliefs from Don Bosco's life, from the little boy to the child and youth friend

A statue is also dedicated to Don Bosco's mother.