Piazza Corpus Domini - Piazzas of Italy by Ultimate Italy

Piazza Corpus Domini

This piazza is very close to Palazzo di Citta and the Duomo. It is named after the church of Corpus Christi, whose façade dominates the square. Although it is a small square it is one of the most beautiful examples of baroque in Turin. There is a good view of the Teatro Regio from this piazza. From the left one can also see the spire of the Mole Antonelliana.

The church of Corpus Domini was erected to commemorate the miracle of the Holy Sacrament of Turin. It was built between 1603 and 1675. Ascanio Vitozzi designed this church. Four statues commissioned from Bernardo Falconi adorn the marble facade.

In 1663 Francesco Lanfranchi designed an admirably high altar. It has sculptures by Giovanni Andrea Casella. Bartolomeo Caravoglia designs the altarpiece and Bernado Antonio Vittone designed the canopy. In 1724 Filippo Juvarra designed the second chapel in the right. A railing at the pier between the second and third chapel on the left indicates the place where the miracle is said to have occurred on June 6, 1453. The miracle, which occurred, is as follows. A grail, which was stolen by a thief, flew free and stayed airborne for a while. It only came down to earth when a bishop prayed for it to do so. This is the legendary miracle of Turin.

The interior of the church has no aisles. It was decorated with red and white marble work between 1792 and 1753. Benedetto Alfieri was responsible for this design.

Most piazzas in Italy have many cafes, restaurants and hotels in their vicinity. Piazza Corpus Domini is a good place to visit if you are in the mood for ethnic food. There is a popular Lebanese restaurant called El Mir in this piazza. A visit to this piazza would definitely be multi purposeful as it has a lot to offer.