Portone del Diavolo

Could this unassuming doorway really be a portal to the underworld? We’re standing before the Portone del Diavolo, the “Devil’s Doorway,” a place shrouded in captivating mystery. This grand entrance to the Palazzo Trucchi di Levaldigi, now home to the Banca Nazionale del Lavoro, certainly looks unassuming enough. But don’t be fooled by its current occupants. Look closer at the ornate carvings adorning the Portone del Diavolo. You’ll see flowers, fruits, animals, and cherubs, all masterfully sculpted. But there’s one detail that sends shivers down your spine. The central knocker, a menacing depiction of the Devil himself, seems to leer out at those who dare to approach. Legend claims this door wasn’t always here. One night, it simply appeared. A reckless apprentice sorcerer, eager to prove himself, summoned dark forces, even daring to call upon Satan himself. The Devil, enraged by the apprentice’s arrogance, decided to teach him a lesson. He trapped the young sorcerer behind this very door, the Portone del Diavolo. Forever bound to the portal he conjured, the apprentice was never seen again. But the stories don’t end there. Whispers of a French Major, Melchiorre Du Perril, who vanished within the palazzo’s walls during the French occupation, still echo. Decades later, his skeletal remains were discovered, forever entombed within the palazzo, a chilling reminder of the Portone del Diavolo’s dark power. The Portone del Diavolo stands as a testament to Turin’s rich tapestry of history and mystery, leaving us with more questions than answers.