Turin’s Mole Antonelliana

Turin’s skyline is dominated by the magnificent Mole Antonelliana.  It opened in 1908 after 45 years of construction and at the time was the tallest brick building in the world.  To this day, it remains the highest building in Turin standing tall and proud at 167 metres.

La Mole was originally built as a synagogue, however the ownership changed hands before its completion and was thus never used for what it was originally conceived.  This was due to running over budget on costs and the lengthy construction times.  Turin council took control of the building from the commissioning Jewish community after agreeing to make land available for another synagogue.

Both periods of construction were undertaken by Alessandro Antonelli and this is where the building takes its name from.   Antonelli died in 1888 a year before the building works were completed therefore he didn’t ever have the chance to see it in its entirety.  La Mole still had to be furnished though and this took many years until it was finally opened in 1908.

In modern times, a lift was fitted to take all visitors to the top of La Mole.  A more recent addition has been the new panoramic lift with glass walls ensuring a truly wonderful experience which you will never forget on your travels to Turin.