With its characteristic shape resembling that of the Pantheon in Rome, the Church of the Gran Madre might seem to have ancient origins, but it was built between 1827 and 1831 by the Decurions to celebrate the return of King Victor Emmanuel I of Savoy after the retreat of the Napoleonic army in May 1814. Construction began in 1818 on a project by the Turin architect Ferdinando Bonsignore, with a clear neoclassical orientation, and was not completed until 1831, when it was inaugurated in the presence of Carlo Felice.
It enjoys an absolutely privileged and suggestive position, being at the foot of the Turin hill but close to Piazza Vittorio Veneto, to which it is connected by Vittorio Emanuele Bridge.
At first glance, it looks like an imposing work of art, but its history and architecture seem to conceal some secrets that shroud it in a golden mystery. First of all, there are two statues at the entrance on either side of a grand staircase, works by Carlo Chelli, which officially symbolise faith and religion.
The statue symbolising Religion is represented by a woman in a long dress flanked by a young man who hands her some stone tablets. Her right hand holds a large Latin cross, the only one in the whole church, which suggests the esoteric nature of the church, since although it is a place of worship, there are no crosses inside. On the front of the church there is a triangle with an eye in the middle, which is also an ambiguous symbol representing God's omniscient gaze and the Masonic tradition.
The statue representing Faith, also with the features of a woman, holds a chalice in her left hand, which some believe could symbolise the Holy Grail. The pointing finger or the woman's gaze could indicate the place where it is hidden.
Secondly, the more esoteric nature of the building would be its location, probably on the remains of an ancient temple dedicated to the Goddess Isis, also known as the 'Gran Madre'.
The interior of the church is a treasure trove of works, including the sculptures by artists such as Angelo Bruneri, who sculpted the statue of St Maurice, and Andrea Galassi, who created the statue of the Great Mother of God with Child.
In addition, the large dome decorated in stucco is considered a masterpiece of Piedmontese Neoclassicism.
For more information, click here.
Image credit: Wikipedia
