Turin, Piedmont, is best known for the Turin Shroud, Fiat and its beautiful and elegant streets but locals are aware of another legacy that may be unfamiliar to those visiting the city as tourists. In fact, Turin is a city known for being mysterious and has been associated with magic since its beginnings – both white magic, and black.
According to legend, the city was founded by the son of the goddess Isis, Phaeton. He established the city in order to honour the cult of Apis, which had the features of a bull and this is the animal that was to become the very symbol of Turin.
According to legend, the city was founded by the son of the goddess Isis, Phaeton. He established the city in order to honour the cult of Apis, which had the features of a bull and this is the animal that was to become the very symbol of Turin.
Turin was also built at the confluence of the Po and Dora rivers and is said to absorb all the energy that comes with water. The two rivers form a “Y” shape right where they connect at the city and this shape has long been seen as a visualisation of the duality of man and the interconnection of good and evil, where the decision to choose one or the other fork into two paths in life. Turin is actually located at the centre of another symbolic shape as well; the centre of the magical world, wedged between both the triangle of black magic (Turin, London and San Francisco) and that of white magic (Turin, Lyon and Prague).
Due to all this, there are some rather creepy and fascinating secrets hidden all over the city, just find a vacation rental in Piedmont and discover them for yourself!
Various locations around the city are associated with different stories and legends of the supernatural. The Chiesa della Gran Madre di Dio (or Church of the Great Mother of God) is a grand Neoclassical building which looks more like a pagan temple than a church. According to one of these many legends of Turin, a temple dedicated to the goddess Isis once stood on the same site and the name – Great Mother of God – refers to her instead.
Two statues stand on either side of the church steps, representing Religion and Faith. The figure of Faith is holding a chalice – a reference to the Holy Grail, which according to yet another local legend is buried nearby.
These are only a fraction of the stories about magic in Turin. For more spooky tales and some information on the tours available of magical Turin, be sure to read our second and third articles as well!
Various locations around the city are associated with different stories and legends of the supernatural. The Chiesa della Gran Madre di Dio (or Church of the Great Mother of God) is a grand Neoclassical building which looks more like a pagan temple than a church. According to one of these many legends of Turin, a temple dedicated to the goddess Isis once stood on the same site and the name – Great Mother of God – refers to her instead.
Two statues stand on either side of the church steps, representing Religion and Faith. The figure of Faith is holding a chalice – a reference to the Holy Grail, which according to yet another local legend is buried nearby.
These are only a fraction of the stories about magic in Turin. For more spooky tales and some information on the tours available of magical Turin, be sure to read our second and third articles as well!
