If you’re travelling to Turin in the Piedmont region on your next vacation of Italy you’ll certainly see the striking tall building that is the Mole Antonelliana in the city centre! The building itself is a type of monument called a mole because of its elaborate proportions and dazzling height.
Stay in a stunning luxury villa in Piedmont where you can easily commute into the city of Turin and see the masterpiece monument that is the Mole Antonelliana
Stay in a stunning luxury villa in Piedmont where you can easily commute into the city of Turin and see the masterpiece monument that is the Mole Antonelliana
The skilled architect Alessandro Antonelli was hired by the large Jewish community in 1863 to design and build them a synagogue for an agreed price of 280,000 lire.
But Antonelli was a man of expensive taste and he made many lavish modifications to the original design which infuriated the Jewish community as it drove the cost up to 692,000 lire over the years!
In 1876 they called a halt to the construction refusing to pay any more. But the people of Turin at this point were impressed by this spectacular monument piercing high above the city scape and demanded the city to take charge, which it did.
An exchange was agreed whereby the Jewish community were given a piece of land in the city where a synagogue suited to their original vision was quickly constructed for them.
Antonelli continued with his vision for a climatic finish to his intricate work to date and the final design had the building stand at a dizzying height of 167.5 metres!
But Antonelli was a man of expensive taste and he made many lavish modifications to the original design which infuriated the Jewish community as it drove the cost up to 692,000 lire over the years!
In 1876 they called a halt to the construction refusing to pay any more. But the people of Turin at this point were impressed by this spectacular monument piercing high above the city scape and demanded the city to take charge, which it did.
An exchange was agreed whereby the Jewish community were given a piece of land in the city where a synagogue suited to their original vision was quickly constructed for them.
Antonelli continued with his vision for a climatic finish to his intricate work to date and the final design had the building stand at a dizzying height of 167.5 metres!
Unfortunately in 1953 a terrible storm, including a tornado terrorised the city and tore down nearly fifty metres of the building’s spire. But the city saw that their beloved Mole Antonelliana was rebuilt in 1961 with a stronger metal skeleton faced with stone.
Since the millennium it has been home to the National Museum of Cinema and is proudly displayed on the back of the two cent Italian euro coins. Come and see this huge and lavishly built monument of Turin for yourself as well as exploring other incredible attractions here!
Since the millennium it has been home to the National Museum of Cinema and is proudly displayed on the back of the two cent Italian euro coins. Come and see this huge and lavishly built monument of Turin for yourself as well as exploring other incredible attractions here!
Photo credits
picture 1: M. Klüber Fotografie / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 2: Livioandronico2013 / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 3: Oleh.sky / CC BY 3.0
picture 1: M. Klüber Fotografie / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 2: Livioandronico2013 / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 3: Oleh.sky / CC BY 3.0