Mole Antonelliana ( Italian: Mole Antonelliana ) is an experimental building 167.5 meters high, erected in the 19th century by the architect Alessandro Antonelli in the Italian city of Turin . Like the Paris Eiffel Tower , the building over time began to be perceived as a symbol of Turin. Until 2011, it was the highest building in Italy.
The tower was laid as the country's main synagogue in 1863, when Turin served as the capital of all Italy. Architect Antonelli, who had just completed the construction of the 120-meter dome of the Basilica of San Gaudenzio in provincial Novara , promised to meet the budget of 280 thousand lire. However, by 1876 the expenses exceeded 620 thousand lire, and the height of the still unfinished building at the insistence of the architect was increased from 66 to 167.5 meters.
The Jewish community refused to continue financing the project and handed it over to the city authorities, who completed construction in 1889, after the death of Antonelli. In 1908, the Risorgimento Museum entered the building, which thus became the highest museum in the world. In 1938, the museum was transferred to the Palazzo Carignano , and its place in 2000 was taken by the newly formed National Museum of Cinematography .
The architectural appearance of Mole Antonelliana was distorted on May 23, 1953 , when the tornado demolished the 47-meter spire of the tower. Restoration work was carried out in 1961. And to this day, Mole Antonelliana remains the tallest brick building in Europe [1] .
Notes
- ↑ The Penguin Encyclopedia of Places . 3rd ed. Penguin, 2000. ISBN 9780140512755 . Page 929.