Stage 1
Venaria Reale > Torino
Venaria Reale
If all's well that starts well, this will be a sumptuous Giro d'Italia. Just like the extraordinary complex of the Reggia di Venaria Reale in front of which the riders will begin the great ride that will take them through Italy all the way to Rome after three weeks of brutal challenges down to the last pedal stroke.
A World Heritage Site since 1997, the Reggia di Venaria was built in the mid-17th century as the hunting lodge of Charles Emmanuel II. Its design was entrusted to Amedeo di Castellamonte, who made the central Salone di Diana an ideal junction between the palace and the 60-hectare park, which has already been awarded the title of Italy's most beautiful public park.
Land of Wines and Saints
The peloton sets off through the countryside north of Turin dotted with villages and towns that are home to companies in the Machine Tools and Robots District, which have made a great comeback after the slowdown caused by Covid and the problems in finding raw materials. Berzano San Pietro hosts the first KOM of the Pink Race and is simultaneously the springboard to Castelnuovo Don Bosco, "Land of Wines and Saints". An appellation due to the cradle rows of Freisa and Malvasia and the Basilica honouring Don Giovanni Bosco, the holy pedagogue and founder of the Salesian congregation. From one Basilica to another. Now in sight of Turin, the riders climb the Superga hill, overlooked by the baroque church dedicated to the Virgin Mary. A stop up here is nothing short of mandatory and not just to catch one's breath while enjoying the stunning view, but also to pay tribute to the memory of the air disaster that took the lives of the Grande Torino football team on 4 May 1949.
The Final Loop
The final loop of the stage crosses the town Moncalieri twice, where visitors can stop to admire its magnificent Savoy castle. And finally, Turin, a true capital of cycling, dresses up for the occasion. The Mole Antonelliana, the Egyptian Museum, Piazza San Carlo and Valentino Park are its most popular attractions. Fans, however, must visit the art installation that pays homage to the Turin stage of the Giro d'Italia in the area of the Fausto Coppi Motovelodromo: the work, created by the Truly Design group, is a visual journey through the city sights that will be crossed by the first stage of the Corsa Rosa. On the other hand, "Turin and the Giro. Between reconstruction and economic boom" can be admired until 5 May. This is a photographic exhibition documenting the 1950s and 1960s in the city set up under the porticoes of Via Po, left side, from Piazza Castello to Via Rossini. Photographs of the departures and arrivals of the Giro d'Italia in Turin from 1947 to 1961 are juxtaposed with images from the period. The exhibition is organised by the Historical Archive and the Great Events and Tourism Promotion Division of the City of Turin, in collaboration with RCS Sport.
