A city of art and charm
The sumptuous royal palaces of the House of Savoy are listed as the "Royal Residences of Turin and Piedmont" and have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. There are no fewer than six palaces in the historic center - part of which is pedestrianized and easy to visit on foot - some of which house prestigious museums: the Palazzo Reale and the Palazzo Chiablese, part of the Royal Museums network; the Palazzo Carignano, home to the apartments of the Princes of Carignano and the National Museum of the Risorgimento; the Palazzo Madama - a building unique for its Baroque and medieval style - and its Municipal Museum of Ancient Art; or the Villa della Regina and the Valentino Castle. The Stupinigi Hunting Lodge, the Venaria Reale Royal Palace and the Castello di Rivoli, home to the renowned Museum of Contemporary Art, are also within easy reach of the city center.
Turin is a city of art, with over forty museums, including the Egyptian Museum, the second most important in the world for its collections, and four national museums: the Cinema Museum, the Automobile Museum, the Mountain Museum and the Risorgimento Museum, as well as prestigious contemporary art centers such as the GAM - Galerie d'Art Moderne et Contemporain - and the Sandretto Re Rebaudengo and Merz Foundations. Turin also houses the Holy Shroud in its cathedral, which can only be viewed during public ostensions.
An open-air visit
The city's main thoroughfares start from Piazza Castello, the heart of Turin. These include Via Roma and its jewel, Piazza San Carlo - nicknamed "the Baroque salon" - Via Garibaldi - Europe's longest pedestrian street - and Via Po, which leads to the Gran Madre di Dio church at the foot of the Superga hill. This green lung, dominated by the Superga Basilica by architect Filippo Juvarra, contributes to making Turin one of Italy's greenest cities. Still on Via Po, you'll come across the city's symbol, the Mole Antonelliana, a former synagogue now the National Cinema Museum. Turin's green side can also be discovered by following the banks of the River Po to the verdant Valentino Park, with its medieval village and fortress, built for the 1884 Italian General Exhibition. The view over the river and the hill is breathtaking. In a city where past and present blend harmoniously, design has pride of place. Turin is part of Unesco's "Creative Cities Network" for its ability to reinvent places and spaces. Heading for the more outlying districts, you'll quickly reach the Intesa San Paolo skyscraper, whose 35th floor houses Italy's highest restaurant/cocktail bar, or the Officine Grandi Riparazioni, a former railway shed turned museum, culinary and technological hub. Not to be missed are Lavazza's new headquarters, the Nuvola, with its museum dedicated to Lavazza coffee, and street-art districts such as Barriera di Milano - with works by artist Millo - and MAU, the Museum of Urban Art.
A gastronomy for all tastes
Between a palace and a museum, a visit and a stroll, you can't leave Turin without succumbing to gourmet delights! Caffè Al Bicerin and Mulassano are a must. They are the smallest historic cafés in the world. Take the time to stop in and enjoy a hot chocolate, a Bicerin - Turin's typical drink made with chocolate, coffee and milk cream - or a sabayon. All this can be accompanied by a mignardise or the emblematic giandujotto, a small chocolate made with roasted hazelnut flour. You'll find giandujotti in the city's many chocolate shops, as well as cremini, alpini with liqueur and other pralines - are also a must. Turin's cuisine boasts many antipasti - from vitello tonnato with anchovies in green sauce, to marinated meats and fish, vegetable flans and tomini, succulent little cheeses. Typical primi piatti include bagna caôda - a traditional peasant recipe of raw or boiled vegetables soaked in a sauce of oil, anchovies and garlic - agnolotti, gnocchi and risotto. Main courses include bollito misto - boiled meat - brasati - braised meat - and fritto misto. Breadsticks, a Torinese invention, are always present on the table, as are the many succulent cheeses, the great Piedmontese wines and Vermouth, a flavored wine born at the foot of the Alps in the 18th century, to be enjoyed as an aperitif or after the meal.
Torino è tanto di tutto!
Smart info
To simplify your stay in Turin, consider booking the guided tour La tua prima volta a Torino , which takes place on Saturday mornings, and the Torino+Piemonte Card , which allows free entry to the city's main museums, exhibitions and royal residences. To discover its typical flavors, succumb to the Merenda Reale, a sweet break with hot chocolate or Bicerin accompanied by traditional pastries, or to Extra Vermouth - l'ora del vermouth di Torino. Finally, with Made in Torino. Tour the Excellent, it's possible to enter Turin's companies to discover their complete production process.
