Mole Antonelliana from Via Montebello

The Mole Antonelliana is the symbol of Turin, capital of Piedmont, a 167-metre masonry tower begun in 1863 by Alessandro Antonelli and crowned by a slender spire that for a time made it among the tallest brick buildings in Europe. Originally intended as a synagogue, it now houses the Museo Nazionale del Cinema, and a glass lift rises straight through the centre of the great dome to a panoramic platform near the top. Photographically the Mole offers two distinct subjects. From street level, the narrow Via Montebello and surrounding streets frame the soaring spire, which dominates the Turin skyline and is best fitted into the frame with a wide lens and corrected verticals so the tall tower does not lean; blue hour, when the spire is floodlit against a deep sky, is the most dramatic window. From the panoramic platform, reached by the glass lift, the view sweeps over the Baroque rooftops to the surrounding hills and, on clear days, the snow-capped Alps, making cold, dry mornings the best time for the long-distance view. The tower works year-round, and winter adds the Alpine backdrop, while the lit interior of the dome is itself a striking subject. The street viewpoints are uncrowded enough for tripods when kept clear of pedestrians, but the panoramic platform is enclosed and busy, with limited room and glass that can cause reflections, so a hand-held approach and a lens hood or rubber shade pressed to the glass help. There is no charge to photograph the exterior from the street; the panoramic lift and the Cinema Museum carry an admission, and tripods are generally not permitted on the platform or inside the museum, so these should be checked at the entrance. Drone use over the dense city centre is restricted. Access at street level is easy and level, while the platform is reached by the lift.