That day I risked my life at a(n almost) synagogue
Mole Antonelliana
The Mole Antonelliana, undoubtedly the most characteristic structure in Turin’s skyline, was originally meant to serve as a synagogue. The building was commissioned by the local (and thriving) Jewish community at around the time of the unification of Italy in order to provide Turin with a synagogue worthy of a capital city. And so they hired Alessandro Antonelli (where the building’s name comes from) to design and carry out the project.
Antonelli, however, introduced a number of changes to the originally agreed upon design, which increased the costs significantly. These changes became so egregious that in 1864, once the capital had been moved to Florence, the Jewish community decided they were withdrawing from the project. They were eventually able to make arrangements for a synagogue in a different location, and the city took over the Mole, which Antonelli worked on until his death in 1888 (the building was completed the following year).
You can reach a panoramic terrace at the top via a ramp, or, alternatively, via an elevator which just… hangs… in the middle of the central chamber?? My own bravery astounds me sometimes. Unfortunately, the day I had booked to go to the top was cloudy and rainy, and much darker than I’d anticipated, so the views were severely hindered.
Museo Nazionale del Cinema
Today, the Mole Antonelliana is home to the National Museum of Cinema, established in 1958. Due to its unique architectural site, it is considered to be the tallest museum in the world.
Its collection consists mostly of magic lanterns, technology spanning the entire history of film (starting with its origins in photography), and stage items and other memorabilia from movie sets.
Gold Colored Fox 