Cappella dei Mercanti

Turin

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Cappella dei Mercanti

The baroque "Chapel of Merchants, Shopkeepers and Bankers" was built at the end of the 1600s. This lesser known architectural jewel still holds numerous original artworks. The most noteworthy of them is the Perpetual Calendar built by the engineering Giovanni Plana — a primitive computing machine that allows its user to look up details about any date between the years 1 and 4000. Powered by a small wooden crank, the intricate gears and chains put into motion the nine inscribed cylinders, The chapel is only open to the public on the weekends, when mass is held. If you are lucky, you can attend the occasional classical music concert and experience the building's impressive acoustics.

Useful Information

  • Address: Via Giuseppe Garibaldi 25, Turin
  • Phone: +39 011 562 72 26
  • Address: Sat 3pm–6pm, Sun 10am–noon

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