The Mausoleo della Bela Rosin is a neoclassical building located in the peripheral district of Mirafiori Sud. Built between 1886 and 1888 by the sons of Rosa Vercellana, it was designed as a symbolic reconstruction of a place where she was intended to be buried. The structure features a circular plan with a diameter of about sixteen meters, matching its height, and a portico with eight columns five meters tall.
The history of the mausoleum was marked by dramatic and degrading episodes. After being purchased by the local municipality in 1970 and opened to the public in 1972, it was immediately desecrated by tomb raiders. In the following years, the building suffered multiple acts of vandalism, leading to urban legends about satanic rituals. By 1984, the niche that once held the remains of the Bela Rosin was filled with various types of waste.
In 1984, the mayor evaluated the possibility of giving the mausoleum to an Islamic community to be converted into a mosque, but the discussion stalled over restoration costs. A new competition eventually led to a major restoration project approved in 2001. The work was completed in 2005, preserving the original light-colored marble and columns while adding a glass cover to the dome's opening and a trompe-l'œil on the ceiling. The building is now managed by the city's library system, hosting concerts, debates, and exhibitions.
During the summer, the surrounding park serves as a reading garden equipped with gazebos and benches. Visitors can borrow books from carts provided for free. The site remains a place for public events, carrying on the legacy of the original structure designed by Angelo Demezzi.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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