Torino
Overview
Established in the 3rd century B.C. with the settlement of the Celto-Ligurian ‘Taurine’ tribes, it became Augusta Taurinorum around 28 B.C. with Octavian Augustus, a Frankish county with Charlemagne, the capital of the Savoy kingdom in the 16th century and of the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1713.
In the 19th century, Turin was the cradle of the Italian Risorgimento under the leadership of King Vittorio Emanuele II and the Count of Cavour: with national unity reached in 1861 came the designation as the capital of Italy. Industrial growth also began, culminating in 1898 with the birth of FIAT, as did cultural development.
The recession of the 1980s put the Piedmontese capital to the test for a few years, but Turin proudly returned to the international scene thanks to the 2006 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and fully gained the image of an innovative and constantly evolving city: its great buildings, museums, contemporary art and industrial design, university culture and cinema, sport and major events have transformed it into a major tourist attraction.
Turin is also Italy’s richest city in terms of public greenery: resting at the foot of a hill and embraced by the River Po and its tributaries, with 320 km of tree-lined boulevards and numerous urban and suburban parks, it forms a marvellous combination with the surrounding lands.
Speciality food
Turin, like the whole of Piedmont, offers a cuisine with deep roots in folk and court tradition, genuine and rich in flavours: appetisers and starters accompanied by grissini breadsticks – invented in the 17th century for Prince Victor Amadeus II of Savoy -, agnolotti, Piedmontese-style mixed fried food, bagna cauda (warm oil, garlic and anchovy based dipping sauce), mixed boiled meats with their sauces, and cheeses from the Alpine valleys. All washed down with local red and white DOC and DOCG wines: Carema, Doux D’Henry, Freisa, Bonarda, Cari, Erbaluce, Ramie, Caluso Passito…
An authentic Turin dinner, however, must be preceded by the ritual of the aperitif, perhaps enjoying a vermouth. This famous and indispensable component of some of the most appreciated cocktails in the world was invented in Turin in 1786 from an idea of Antonio Benedetto Carpano.
The oldest national coffee roasters and the most important coffee brands also originate from here, and the first patent for an ‘espresso’ coffee machine (1884) was granted to Mr. Angelo Moriondo of Turin. What about chocolate and confectionery? Just a few words: gianduiotti (created by Michele Prochet), ‘bignole’, zabaglione, bicerin…
Drinks
It is obvious that Piedmont is a land of great wines: among the most renowned reds, his majesty Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera, Nebbiolo, Dolcetto and among whites, Arneis, Gavi and Malvasia. But it is not well known that the province of Turin is the custodian of many great wines. The territory around Turin is the homeland of an important and ancient viticultural tradition: along about 600 kilometers (600 miles) there is the area of Canavese, Collina Torinese, Pinerolese and Valsusa where to appreciate 25 DOC wines, produced by 11 characteristic vines. Among them, the most Turinese of all is Freisa, a ruby red wine, slightly sparkling, produced in the area of Chieri and in the urban vineyard next to Villa della Regina, a few hundred meters from the city center. Turin has another record: aperitif. Known all over the world, Vermouth was born in Turin in 1786 by Antonio Benedetto Carpano, and was initially sold in a liquor store in Piazza Castello. For its recipe are used Moscato from Piedmont and full bodied wines from the South, with extracts and infusions of about 30 aromatic herbs. There are many types of Vermouth: red, white, rose, sweet and dry. In Turin it is a real aperitif.
Main sights
The elegant, arcaded streets of the city centre, the tree-lined avenues, the historical squares such as Piazza Castello – the heart of the city -, Piazza San Carlo, Piazza Vittorio Veneto – one of the largest in Europe: follow this red thread and you will discover Turin.
The Mole Antonelliana, the undisputed symbol of the city: 167 m high, conceived in the mid-19th century as a synagogue and now housing the National Museum of Cinema, it is also an incredible view point over the city and the surrounding Alpine arc.
The urban Royal Residences: Royal Palace and Royal Museums, Palazzo Carignano, Palazzo Chiablese, Palazzo Madama, Valentino Castle, Villa della Regina.
The Egyptian Museum, second in the world after Cairo, and the great national museums: Cinema, Risorgimento, Automobile, Mountain; those dedicated to modern and contemporary art: Camera, Fondazione Merz, Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Gallerie d’Italia, GAM, Pinacoteca Agnelli.
The so-called “Quadrilateral”, of Roman influence, its Palatina Gate and its network of streets teeming with typical restaurants and, not far away, the Renaissance Cathedral of San Giovanni.
The Valentino Park along the Po, over 42 hectares of flora and fauna, cycle paths, trails and countless sports and leisure opportunities.
The Basilica of Superga, a Baroque jewel that dominates the city from the hill of the same name: accessible by the historic 1934 rack railway, it houses the Royal Tombs of the House of Savoy and, in its rear part, the memorial commemorating the ‘Grande Torino’ football team, whose plane crashed here on 4 May 1949.
