{"id":4777,"date":"2022-06-30T15:04:13","date_gmt":"2022-06-30T13:04:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.camminodonbosco.eu\/from-the-sanctuary-of-s-maria-ausiliatrice-to-the-basilica-of-superga\/"},"modified":"2024-01-02T09:46:07","modified_gmt":"2024-01-02T08:46:07","slug":"from-the-sanctuary-of-s-maria-ausiliatrice-to-the-basilica-of-superga","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.camminodonbosco.eu\/en\/from-the-sanctuary-of-s-maria-ausiliatrice-to-the-basilica-of-superga\/","title":{"rendered":"From the Sanctuary of S. Maria Ausiliatrice to the Basilica of Superga"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

An excursion through the history of Turin, from the place where the Cammino was born to the Basilica of Superga, walking along the Po river.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n

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Technical Notes<\/h2>\n\n

Starting Point<\/strong>: Turin, Piazza Maria Ausiliatrice (Sanctuary of Maria Ausiliatrice, 230 m) Ending Point<\/strong>: Basilica of Superga (669 m) Length<\/strong>: 14.1 km Elevation Gain<\/strong>: 490 m Difficulty<\/strong>: hiking, flat path with a final ascent to the Basilica Refreshments<\/strong>: the city route offers numerous dining and shopping opportunities (especially in the large market of Porta Palazzo) up to the Church of Madonna del Pilone on Lungo Po. There are no more shops along the route from here to San Mauro, at the start of the ascent to the basilica, and then at Superga. Water<\/strong>: numerous fountains are available throughout the city and along the Lungo Po. The first is along the river, just after turning from the Vittorio Emanuele bridge, and the last ones before Superga (on the left of the basilica, at the rack railway station, and next to the trattoria of the Mutual Aid Society) are located in the Meisino Reserve, near the board and the Horse Center. <\/p>\n\n

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Description<\/h2>\n\n

From the Sanctuary of Maria Ausiliatrice (A), head towards Corso Regina Margherita, turn left, and cross first the Rond\u00f2 d’la forca, then Piazza della Repubblica (Porta Palazzo market, near the Sanctuary of the Consolata). Turn right onto Via XX Settembre (Porte Palatine), passing by the Cathedral of San Giovanni (Holy Shroud), then cross Piazza Castello (Royal Palace and Palazzo Madama). Continue onto Via Po (Mole Antonelliana) until reaching Piazza Vittorio Veneto, then cross the Vittorio Emanuele I Bridge (Church of the Gran Madre) and turn left onto Corso Moncalieri, following along the Lungo Po (B; turning right continues on the path of Stage 1 Torino-Eremo of the lower Cammino). <\/p>\n\n

Continue, favoring the sections of the route closest to the river, in a charming walk among centuries-old trees, until reaching the confluence of the Po and Dora Riparia rivers. Just beyond, enter the Meisino Nature Reserve: the route moves away from the course of the Po along Via Nietzsche, following the military gallop track, then turning left onto the dirt road at the end of its fence and returning to the embankment. Proceed along the beautiful path along the Po, passing under the imposing structure of the Lungo Stura Lazio Bridge and continuing, skirting wide meadows\u2014often used as pastures by herds and flocks\u2014until the Bajno footbridge, dedicated to the ecologist Alexander Langer. <\/p>\n\n

Turn right, ascending toward the settlement, past a parking lot, then cross Corso Casale and start the ascent among oak trees towards Superga along Trail No. 29, at an informative signboard. Pay attention to the terrain and wooden walkways, which can be slippery after rainfall, as well as to the cyclists, usually numerous. <\/p>\n\n

Continue along the flat stretch adjacent to the fence of the Wooden Plants Institute (IPLA, Tenuta Millerose), then enter the woods, traversing an undulating path. Keep ascending, ignoring some deviations on the right, until reaching a wooden footbridge, then reach a track that skirts a large meadow and leads to the Carossera Bridge, over the Rio di Costa Parigi. Ascend along the stream to reach a first track, turn left to intersect with a second track, then turn right to ascend further and encounter a flat track, to follow in the subsequent descent. Cross a stone-paved ford over the stream and resume climbing, reaching a ridge. Shortly after, leave the track to follow a path on the right, ascending along the ridge for a long stretch (ignoring a path on the left) until intersecting with Trail No. 60. Ignore the path to the right and continue on the steep ascent, sometimes stepped, to arrive near some buildings. Then, at a crossroads with signs for the Cammino, continue straight on an alternative path with a steep climb or turn right again onto an easier path that leads to a cobbled road, to follow\u2014passing under the Superga funicular underpass\u2014until reaching the local funicular road. Continue left to shortly arrive at the funicular station and from there to the basilica square (C). From the square in front of the basilica, you can enjoy a unique panorama, from the city of Turin to the Alps chain. <\/p>\n\n

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Walking through the history of Turin<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Sanctuary of Mary Help of Christians (19th century) with the first Oratory of Don Bosco<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Located in the Valdocco neighborhood, where the saint founded the oratory for impoverished boys. The basilica, envisioned by Don Bosco and consecrated in 1846, houses the remains of St. John Bosco and St. Domenico Savio. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sanctuary of the Consolata<\/strong> (17th-19th centuries<\/strong>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This sanctuary, with ancient origins, in its present form is the work of several great architects (Guarino Guarini, Filippo Juvarra, and Carlo Ceppi); it has a Romanesque bell tower and houses the famous painting depicting the Madonna and Child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Porte Palatine (1st century)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Roman remains that constituted the main gate of Augusta Taurinorum<\/em>, founded by the Romans in 27 B.C. as an outpost on the route to Gaul. Transformed in the medieval era into a castrum<\/em> with towers, they now form part of the Archaeological Park, alongside the remains of the Roman theater. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cathedral (15th century) and Chapel of the Holy Shroud<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cathedral, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, was built in Renaissance forms starting from 1491 on the area where three paleochristian basilicas stood. Later (1578), it was expanded with the Chapel of the Holy Shroud\u2014designed by Guarini\u2014to house the cloth that wrapped the body of Christ after the crucifixion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Casaforte d\u2019Acaja-Palazzo Madama (13th-18th centuries)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Home to the Civic Museum of Ancient Art, it represents centuries of Turin’s history accompanied by numerous renovations, enriched by the masterpieces of the facade, staircase, and grand hall, the work of Juvarra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mole Antonelliana (1889) and National Cinema Museum<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Mole, standing at 167.5 meters in height, is a building with a unique architectural style housing the National Cinema Museum. From the top, reached by a fast elevator, it offers an extraordinary view of the city and the surrounding panorama. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Church of the Great Mother of God (19th century)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Built to celebrate the return of King Emanuele I of Savoy after the fall of Napoleon. It has a broad staircase leading to the circular-plan temple. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meisino Nature Reserve<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most significant urban nature reserve in Italy, boasting a rich nesting and migratory birdlife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Basilica di Superga<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Baroque gem erected in 1717 by Vittorio Amedeo after the victory over the French in 1706. Visitors can explore the royal apartments and tombs. At the rear of the building is a plaque commemorating the tragic accident in which the Grande Torino team perished in 1949. (basilicadisuperga.com<\/a>)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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On the Trails of Don Bosco<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Giovanni Bosco received priesthood in 1841 at the Archbishop’s Chapel in Turin. He celebrated his first Mass at the Church of San Francesco di Assisi and the second at the Sanctuary of the Consolata. In November 1841, he entered the Convitto in Turin, in a former convent next to the Church of San Francesco di Assisi, where he planted the first seed of the future oratory during a meeting with a young man from the countryside. It marked the beginning of an extraordinary educational project for boys taken off the streets, leaving significant traces to this day. Don Bosco gathered all the disadvantaged young people in the area around him, from young chimney sweeps to former prisoners. On Easter Day in 1846, he found a shed with a field in Valdocco, thus giving life to the Oratory. His acrobatic and showman skills, along with his practical knowledge, were crucial in gaining the trust of the boys, who were also involved in the famous walks towards the hills. In 1854, Don Bosco founded the Salesian Society. In 1872, with Maria Domenica Mazzarello, he established the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians to educate young women. Don Bosco died in Turin on January 31, 1888, and is buried in the Sanctuary of Mary Help of Christians. Pope Pius XI beatified him and later canonized him on April 1, 1934, Easter Sunday. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Don Bosco Museum of Natural History (Viale Thovez 37, Turin)<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the Turin hill of Val Salice stands the Salesian educational institute Valsalice. Built by the Christian Brothers between 1857-61 as a holiday place for the “College of the Nobles,” the building was taken over in 1872 by Don Bosco\u2014due to the obedience to the local ecclesiastical official\u2014and in 1887, it became a philosophical seminary for his clerics named the “Seminary of Foreign Missions.” The third and fourth floors of the structure house the Don Bosco Museum of Natural History\u2014founded by St. John Bosco and inaugurated on July 5, 1879\u2014a result of the work of the Turin canon and Salesian collaborator Gian Battista Giordano, who collected an important naturalistic heritage. The small museum presents thousands of mineral samples, petrographic specimens, botanical, zoological, and archaeological displays. It also contains Don Bosco’s tomb, where the priest’s remains rested until his beatification in 1929. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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Map<\/h2>\n\n
\"\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An excursion through the history of Turin, from the place where the Cammino was born to the Basilica of Superga, walking along the Po river. Technical Notes Starting Point: Turin, Piazza Maria Ausiliatrice (Sanctuary of Maria Ausiliatrice, 230 m) Ending Point: Basilica of Superga (669 m) Length: 14.1 km Elevation Gain: 490 m Difficulty: hiking, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-4777","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.camminodonbosco.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4777","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.camminodonbosco.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.camminodonbosco.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.camminodonbosco.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.camminodonbosco.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4777"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.camminodonbosco.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4777\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.camminodonbosco.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4777"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}