Gran Madre di Dio, Turin
Church of Gran Madre di Dio | |
---|---|
Chiesa della Gran Madre di Dio | |
Mary, Mother of Jesus | |
Architecture | |
Groundbreaking | 1818 |
Completed | 1831 |
Administration | |
Archdiocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Turin |
The church of the Gran Madre di Dio (Great Mother of God) is a Neoclassic-style church dedicated to Mary, Mother of God, on the western bank of the Po River, facing the Ponte Vittorio Emanuele I leading into Piazza Vittorio Veneto, Turin, region of Piedmont, Italy.[1]
Description
The church was conceived in 1814, after the defeat of
Others who contributed to the construction were Giuseppe Formento and the engineer Virginio Bordino. The latter helped raise the columns on the façade. The architect Luigi Canina was consulted during construction. Flanking the entrance staircase, atop two high plinths, are two statues representing Faith (with calyx) and Religion by Carlo Chelli. The tympanum of the church states: ORDO POPVLVSQVE TAVRINVS OB ADVENTVM REGIS, which can be translated as: The Nobility and the People of Turin for the Return of the King. The church architecture was inspired by the Pantheon in Rome. The link between the political event with the religious one comes through thanks to the classical metaphors to talk about the religious episodes with a back and forth between religious and political personalities.[4] In front of the church is a statue of a King Vittorio Emanuele I, walking forward, holding a staff in his right arm, the base reads Vittorio Emanuele I/ Re di Sardegna/ Restituito a su Pepolo/il XX Maggio MDCCCXIV/ Ne Coronara/ la Fedeltà secolare.
References
- ISBN 978-88-365-1522-6. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
- ^ "Chiesa della Gran Madre di Dio".
- ISBN 978-0-300-05320-3. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
- ^ "Chiesa della Gran Madre di Dio".