1830s – Gran Madre di Dio, Turin, Italy

Architect: Ferdinando Bonsignore

gran_madre_di_dio_lge

Legend has it that the Holy Grail lies buried beneath this neoclassical church. Commissioned in the 1830’s to celebrate the return of Vittorio Emanuele I after the Congress of Vienna, the design was inspired by the Pantheon. The two statues (of Faith and Religion) by Carlo Chelli of Carrara stand on both sides of the stairs leading to the entrance.