Hidden behind the grandeur of Turin’s Piazza Carlo Emanuele II lies Santa Croce a church brimming with untold stories. Its elegant facade might seem unassuming at first glance but within its walls a rich history unfolds.
Santa Croce wasn’t always here. Initially the Augustinian nuns resided near the church of Misericordia in Turin’s center. They later moved to the burgeoning “new Po city” a planned expansion area. Their new convent built between 1685 and 1691 formed part of a grand scheme a royal square designed as an octagon then reshaped. This ambitious project aimed to celebrate Duke Carlo Emanuele II echoing the style of French royal squares.
The convent itself occupied a significant portion of the block. Its layout reflected the nuns’ activities particularly their role in educating young women from aristocratic families. Santa Croce the church itself was constructed some thirty years later. It occupies what was probably intended as a chapel within the convent’s grounds.
Filippo Juvarra a renowned architect designed Santa Croce. He worked on the church from 1718 to 1719 only a few years after arriving in Turin. Juvarra conceived Santa Croce as a centrally planned church with an elliptical hall. Eight majestic columns of Gassino marble support the structure’s trabeation. This oval theme repeats near the dome drum punctuated by large windows. The dome itself a double calotte is exquisitely decorated with lacunars. This extends the lower level design reaching all the way to the slender lantern.
The church’s exterior features pilaster strips of giant order. These are visible from the square and Via Accademia Albertina. The facade seen from Via Po or the square’s side roads is simpler more understated. It features a single order a central entrance aligned with a dome window and two empty niches.
Inside Santa Croce houses three altars. These are part of Juvarra’s final major work though he didn’t live to see its completion. The high altar a masterpiece of polychrome marble boasts an altarpiece painted by Carlo Francesco Beaumont. The altarpiece depicts the “Deposition” a powerful image commissioned by Juvarra himself.
The church’s bell tower wasn’t added until after 1756. It’s based on a design by Giovanni Battista Borra. The facade we see today is a product of 19th-century work. This was carried out after 1873 under an attribution to Camillio Riccio. Even today Santa Croce undergoes restoration and preservation. This ensures its remarkable history and the exquisite decorations inside are preserved for generations to come. The church stands as a testament to Turin’s artistic heritage a remarkable blend of history faith and architectural splendor. It is a jewel hidden in plain sight waiting to be discovered.