Church of the Priests of the Mission of the Visitation Turin
Corner of Via XX Settembre and Via dell’Arcivescovado
Presentation of the Church of the Visitation Turin
Francesco Lanfranchi designed the Church of the Visitation in Turin, which features a Greek cross layout and houses precious furnishings. The current Baroque church (1657-1660) was built to commemorate the beatification of St. Francis de Sales, on the site of a small church and monastery established twenty years earlier by St. Jane Frances de Chantal.
Between 1657 and 1660, during the three-year leadership of Mother Maria Teresa di Valperga, the architects completed the work.
Highlights Virgin of the Miraculous Medal
Inside, visitors can admire the statue of the Immaculate Virgin of the Miraculous Medal, inspired by the apparition in 1830 to St. Catherine Labouré, a Daughter of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. The statue now stands on the marble altar, whose Rococo-style pediment is adorned with cherubs holding symbols of the saint.
Description of the Church of the Visitation Turin
The Dome
Above the spacious central nave rises the tall dome, illuminated by large windows in the drum. White stucco with motifs typical of Ligurian stucco workers adorns the facade and the high cylindrical drum of the dome.
Interior
Notable features include the new wooden portal, the organ, the new marble high altar, Vanier’s frescoes on the presbytery vault, and the precious gilded wooden pulpit.
In 1665, the nuns placed a dedicatory plaque above the portal to celebrate the canonization of St. Francis de Sales. It sits above a Baroque double-door entrance with sculpted high-relief panels. The altarpiece (hidden by a curtain) depicts St. Jane Frances de Chantal receiving the rule from St. Francis de Sales. It came into use between 1730 and 1750.
Expansions
The Chapel of St. Francis de Sales was completed in 1730. In 1737, statues by Plura and paintings by Beaumont were added to the Chapel of Calvary. In 1768, celebrations were held for the canonization of Jeanne Frémyot de Chantal, during which significant restorations were carried out.
The Visitandines retained possession of the church until 1802. As early as October 1, 1800, military authorities had repurposed the building as a military warehouse, and even after the Restoration, the nuns did not return to their original site (they moved to the Monastery of Santa Chiara on Via delle Orfane). Decades later, the church was entrusted to the Priests of the Mission, who had been established in Turin since 1655.
A Day to Remember
27th of Every Month
Many faithful gather to pray on the 27th of each month at the Church of the Visitation, honoring the Miraculous Medal—whose name, tradition says, was inspired by the Virgin Mary as a sign of love, a pledge of protection, and a source of grace. The Virgin reportedly appeared twice in 1830 on Rue du Bac in Paris to St. Catherine Labouré, a novice at the convent of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul.
Collection of Ex-Votos:
Original location of the ex-votos: They may have once been scattered throughout the various chapels, though there is no definitive information on this.
Types of Ex-Votos:
Jewelry and precious items. Currently, the ex-votos are likely stored in the sacristy.
