AT SUPERGA, FIND MARY BEFORE YOU TAKE IN THE VIEW!

The Basilica of Superga can be reached by rack tram from Sassi in Turin. The church and Chapel of the Vow open from 10 am to 1.30 pm and from 2.30 to 5 pm on weekdays.

On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, the hours are 10 am to 6 pm. Check for changes and plan the return before setting out, especially if you want to go on a Wednesday, when the tram normally does not run.

Allow half a day for the hill, Our Lady of Grace and the walk to the Grande Torino memorial. The climb to the dome is a separate visit.

Begin at Sassi and choose a time to come back

Look for Sassi tram station near Piazza Modena. This is where the climb to Superga begins.

Before you travel, look for a service up the hill and one back down that give you enough time for the visit. Timetables change with the seasons and the days of the week. If you are with someone who prefers a shorter walk, check the stretch between the upper station and the basilica and the entrances you plan to use.

The tram takes you up the hill. From there you can choose how much walking to do between the chapel, the dome and the stops outside.

The fare from Sassi

A full-price ticket costs €4 one way or €6 return on ordinary weekdays. On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays it costs €6 one way or €9 return.

To reach Sassi you can take tram 15 or buses 61 and 68. Look for the Sassi Superga stop on Corso Casale.

The ticket office for the hill tramway is inside the station. If you intend to return the same way, you can organise both journeys before taking the first tram up.

Through 22 November 2026, the first tram uphill leaves at 10 am, the last at 6 pm and the last tram down at 6.30 pm. For Wednesdays, check the 79/ bus.

The climb is part of the visit

There are just over three kilometres of track and a rise of 425 metres between Sassi and Superga. Ask children to look for a point where the tram seems to change angle as it climbs.

Once at the top, you can look down for the stretch you have just travelled. It gives them another way to see how far you have come from the city.

See the whole church before you go in

In front of the church, stand far enough back to see its portico, dome and bell towers together. The architect was Filippo Juvarra.

The first stone was laid in 1717 and the basilica opened in 1731. Pick one detail to come back to after the visit. Notice how the portico seems to move towards the people arriving, while the dome is a landmark for people looking up from Turin.

In fog the stop still works. The front of the church and the shape of the building are both worth looking at when you cannot see the city below.

Find the Chapel of the Vow

The wooden statue of Our Lady of Grace is in the Chapel of the Vow. It is reached from the area around the sanctuary inside the basilica.

Follow the signs in the church and make this your first stop if you have come to Superga to see Mary. Give yourself a moment between the main door and the entrance to the chapel.

The open space near the altar and the room you find at the end of the walk ask you to move at different speeds. If a friend has come to climb the dome, you can still sit together here and decide afterwards how to spend the rest of the visit.

What the second of September remembers

During the siege of Turin, Victor Amadeus II went up the hill on 2 September 1706. The tradition of Superga connects that day with a vow he made before Our Lady of Grace.

After the victory, the promise took the form of a new shrine. The statue had stood in the smaller church on the hill before the basilica was built. When you see it, picture the hillside with that little church and the besieged city below.

Both scales are still part of the visit. A wooden figure in a chapel and a basilica visible from a long way off tell different moments in the same story.

If you want to see Turin from above

Begin in the square outside, where you can get your bearings. On a clear day, try to find the part of the city you came from, then look further.

If you want to climb to the dome, check when admission ends and how much time you have left before the tram down. The dome is a separate visit and involves a climb. Each person can choose what suits them.

Those who stay below can walk round to the memorial or wait in the square. Agree on one exact spot to meet, so that nobody has to cut short what they are seeing.

The Grande Torino memorial behind the basilica

On 4 May 1949 the plane bringing the Grande Torino football team home crashed at Superga. The memorial plaque is behind the complex and is a stop outside, separate from the chapel.

If you have brought a child who loves football, you can tell them what is remembered here before you set off for the back of the building. Some people come because of a team, while others come to spend time in front of Mary.

Allow a quiet moment to read the names. The view will still be there when you have finished.

A quick visit or a longer stay

If time is short, begin at the Chapel of the Vow, then go outside and choose the memorial or the square. With longer to spend, add the dome or one of the visits with its own timetable and ticket, such as the Royal Tombs.

Their opening times can differ. Check the one you want before leaving, especially if you are using public transport. With children you can make three things to look for: Mary, the two bell towers and the memorial.

With someone who walks slowly, choose one stop outside after seeing the church. You can save the rest of the hill for another day.

One more look before the last tram

Before you leave, return to the square and look at the façade again. Once you have seen the statue, you can connect the huge portico with the small figure inside the chapel.

You still have the journey down to Sassi. Allow time to get to the tram and, if you split up to see different things, meet where you agreed. Once you are back in Turin, see whether you can pick out Superga from below.

The hill is where it always was. This time you also know where to go if you want to spend a little more time with Our Lady of Grace.