Turin’s urban landscape is rich in beautiful buildings that still tell captivating stories of days gone by.
One of these, just 10 minutes from Villa della Regina, in a privileged position on the city’s hillside, is an unusual octagonal-shaped building which hosts the meeting place and religious retreat known as La Salle.
The history of this building is really unique, albeit somewhat melancholic, because it was originally supposed to be a church standing one hundred metres high. This, at least, was the dream of Canon Giuseppe Ortada, director of the “Opera per la Propagazione della fede in Piemonte” who, in 1870, commissioned the architect Giuseppe Bertinara to build a monumental place of worship that could compete in size with the Basilica of Superga.
The first works began in 1875, but were suspended five years later, after Ortalda's death, due to a lack of funds.
What remains today is a central octagonal brick structure with two lateral bodies, the equivalent of just one fifth of the total height that it should have been.
Being private, the building is not open to the public, but on some special occasions, such as the Open House event, it opens its doors to visitors, offering them the opportunity to enjoy the incredible view of the city below.
