Here on the south side of Piazza Carlo Emanuele II, more famously known as Piazza Carlina, stands the Chiesa di Santa Croce. This church has a rich history. Its story stretches back centuries.
The Chiesa di Santa Croce was once part of a larger convent complex. This complex belonged to the Lateran Canonesses Regular of the Order of Saint Augustine. Later, it served as a military hospital. Today, the site primarily houses the Faculty of Mathematical, Physical, and Natural Sciences of the University of Turin. The City of Turin owns the entire complex. They have granted the use of the church’s large choir and adjacent rooms to the Archdiocese of Turin. The Archdiocese dedicates it to the Romanian Orthodox community and the Diocesan Commission for Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue.
Construction of the Chiesa di Santa Croce began around 1720. Filippo Juvarra designed it. However, the facade was not completed until 1873. Giovanni Battista Borra designed the bell tower after 1756. He returned to Piedmont then. The Military Engineering Corps undertook the facade’s completion and some dome work. This was finished by November 8, 1873. It coincided with the inauguration of the monument to Camillo Benso di Cavour in the piazza’s center.
In 1904, the City of Turin acquired the entire convent complex. It continued as a military hospital until 1914. From 1920 to 1926, it functioned as a soldier’s home. In 1926, the Madri Pie of Ovada took over the complex. They commissioned church restoration work in 1927. The City regained control in 1975. From 1988 to 1993, architect Mario Federico Roggero led a building renovation. This transformed the former convent into a university campus.
Stepping inside the Chiesa di Santa Croce, you would find a single nave. It features an elliptical plan covered by a plastered and decorated vault. The vault rests on a high drum. The drum is defined by stucco cornices at the top and base. Large windows punctuate the drum. Four are oval, and three are rectangular. Stucco tympani top them. Painted panels with monochrome floral patterns sit between the windows. The dome’s total height creates a dramatic effect. The perspective decoration of the coffered vault enhances this. It makes the coffers appear smaller toward the center point. Natural light floods in through the large windows.
Unfortunately, the Chiesa di Santa Croce has been closed since 1975. But there are plans to restore it. The goal is to return it to the city as a valuable historical and artistic asset.