The statues and frescoes in Heaven are directly above the altar: together they form an impressive scenography set over several levels. The stairs lead to the crypt under the altar. Here is the fifteenth-century statue of the dead Mary lying inside her own tomb.
Look up. Through the glass ceiling you see another statue of Mary, right above the altar. She is welcomed into Heaven by a cheering crowd of angels, as if the miracle was happening before your eyes.
The project for the altar and the crypt was designed by the architect Marco Bianchi around 1719, but in 1740 it was modified by the famous architect of the Savoy family Benedetto Alfieri, uncle of the famous poet Vittorio Alfieri.