Perched in the core of Turin, Italy, stands the Mole Antonelliana, a mesmerizing structure christened after its mastermind, Alessandro Antonelli. Originated with an intention as a synagogue, construction started in 1863, but funding vanished in 1869 from the Jewish community. Turin later took the reins and completed the project in 1889, post the designer's untimely demise. It is acknowledged as the world's tallest museum and remains the tallest unreinforced brick building in the world.
The Mole appears on the reverse of the two-cent Italian euro coins. It has appeared in the reality TV show The Amazing Race 20 and the film Dopo Mezzanotte (After Midnight). The building's pinnacle was rebuilt in 1961 as a metal structure faced with stone, and the lighting for the pinnacle was carried out by Guido Chiarelli.
From its role as a Museum of the Risorgimento to its current home of the National Museum of Cinema, the Mole remains a central part of Turin's identity. It lends its name to the Derby della Mole, the famous football derby between Torino and Juventus, and was even admired by Friedrich Nietzsche, who associated it with his figure Zarathustra.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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