The Chiesa di San Domenico (St Dominic Church) dates back to the late XIII century, when the Dominican Friars settled in Torino, in the proximity of the city walls, near the ancient Porta Palatina (Palatine Gate). The San Domenico (St Dominic) church has undergone great transformations over the centuries, as happened to most mendicant friars’ churches. The original nucleus, that is now the sacristy and the Cappella delle Grazie (Graces Chapel), was expanded during the fourth and fifth centuries. The church was finally restored and modified in the six hundreds, and it took on a baroque appearance that hid its Gothic origins. The San Domenico church (St Dominic), a unique example of a Gothic church in Torino, was restored back to the original Gothic, after a series of restoration works (one carried out during the eight hundreds and one in the nine hundreds). The pointed arches, the inner columns, the apse and the frescoes were uncovered. The church, in fact, houses a series of fourteenth century frescoes: a stunning Annunciation surrounded by the Twelve Apostles. The frescoes can be found in the Cappella delle Grazie (Graces Chapel), located under the bell tower.
