Monument to Lady of Consolata, Turin

Monument to Lady of Consolata (Colonna della Madonna Consolata) is the gratitude of the religious inhabitants of Turin for their salvation to the Theotokos, a promise made by the townspeople to God. And also a beautiful monument, towering in the center of the city.

History of creation

Madonna Consolata, or the consoling Mother of God, is considered to be the patroness of Turin. People were praying to her in 1835. Then Turin was struck by an outbreak of cholera. And even despite all the sanitary preventive measures taken by the doctors, the number of deaths reached 220 people per day. Then the city authorities held a public prayer to the patroness – the Virgin Mary, and voting for the erection of the monument after the cessation of the disease. The epidemic soon ended, and the city administration began to fulfill its promise. On May 28, 1836 the first stone of the monument was laid. Construction was led by two people. The column was designed by the architect Ferdinando Coronesi, and the statue of the Virgin Mary with the child in her arms was sculpted by Giuseppe Bogliani.

A column of gray granite was delivered by a car that was specifically built for this, from the town of Baime-Biella. On the top, it is decorated with modest ornaments, so as not to distract attention from the statue of white marble. Even now, 180 years later, on the steps at the bottom of the column you can see fresh flowers, regularly brought by citizens.

How to get there

The column is located on a small square near the temple Santuario della Consolata, on Via della Consolata, 14. It is the administrative center of the city, a few blocks away there is the City Tower. And the Holy Shroud Museum is very close to it. Near the column there is a stop Santa Chiara, buses № 52, 67, W60 pass here.