Santuario della Consolata

The Santuario della Consolata is a Baroque sanctuary at Piazzetta della Consolata 1, on the edge of the Quadrilatero Romano in Turin, Piedmont. It is one of the city's most loved devotional sites, centred on the veneration of the Madonna Consolata, Turin's patroness. The present building was rebuilt in the late 17th century by Guarino Guarini, who gave it a remarkable interior of interlocking spaces: an elliptical hexagonal nave leads to a circular chapel, and the plan creates a play of light and curved forms typical of Guarini. Filippo Juvarra later added the main altar area and further decoration in the early 18th century. The interior is richly ornamented with marble, gilding and frescoes, and the sanctuary is lined with ex-voto offerings left by worshippers over the centuries, which gives it a lived-in atmosphere that sets it apart from museum churches. The Romanesque bell tower beside the church is older and survives from an earlier building. Visitors can usually enter for free, but the sanctuary remains an active place of worship, so quiet and modest dress are expected, and entry may be restricted during services and the midday closure. A visit takes 20 to 40 minutes. Photographers find the interior best in morning light, though flash and photography during services are discouraged. The nearby cafe Al Bicerin, a historic Turin cafe on the same piazzetta, makes a natural stop for the city's signature drink. Crowds are light on weekdays and heavier on feast days and Sundays. The sanctuary is a short walk from Porta Palazzo and the Duomo, and sits close to Piazza Castello and the Roman gate, so it fits into a walk through old Turin. Visitors can confirm times at laconsolata.org.