St. John's Cathedral

Piazza San Giovanni, 4. (Open Map)
(75)

Description

The present-day cathedral was the first example in Turin of Renaissance architecture and was built at the behest of Bishop Domenico Della Rovere on the site of three medieval churches dedicated to the Saviour, John the Baptist and the Virgin Mary. The project was assigned to the Tuscan architect Meo del Caprina and was carried out between 1491 and 1498. In the 17th Century the building was restructured with the addition of the Chapel of the Holy Shroud which was designed by Guarino Guarini and links the Cathedral to the Royal Palace. The Bell Tower of Saint Andrew, completed in 1469, was erected in 1720 to a design by Filippo Juvarra.

The façade, comprising three elegant doorways, is unusual in that it is covered with white marble and is somewhat of an anomaly when compared to other contemporary brick facades. The interior of the church is arranged in the form of a latin cross with three naves in the gothic style. The lateral chapels have devotional altars and the second altar in the right hand nave is host to the polittico della Compagnia dei Calzolai by Martino Spanzotti and Defendente Ferrari.

The stairs to the side and at the end of the presbytery lead to the Chapel of the Holy Shroud. This chapel was built between 1668 and 1694 by Guarino Guarini and is a masterpiece of Baroque architecture. It is currently under restoration after the fire of April 11th 1997.