Turin, A City With More To Offer That Meets The Eye

 

Turin, the capital of Piedmont region is a major commercial and cultural center in northern Italy. Located on River Po, the city is surrounded by the Alps and has an exceptional appeal with its superior landscapes. The city is the first Italian capital and its rich culture and history is represented by the numerous monuments and signs. Turin is the Italian center of automobile industry and is home of the football teams Juventus F.C. and Torino F.C.

Piazza Castello is the heart of the city. This is a very imposing square and a good starting point for visiting the sites around it. The beautiful square is leading to the palace and the cathedral.

 

 

The elegant palace of the Savoy Family.

The palace and the bull which is the symbol of Turin.

A beautiful area in a beautiful city with many fountains surrounded by museums and boutique shops in a walking distance.

 

 

The Royal Residence of the house of Savoy is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The palace was built in the 16^th century and modernized during centuries. It is simple from outside but is richly decorated with tapestries and valuable works of art. The palace is very large and represents the power and wealth of Savoy family. Very impressive is also the armory room containing many armory and weapons.

 

Turin is so impressive with its spiritual signs of religion. Close to the palace is the cathedral, Duomo-the only Renaissance building in the city.

The main cathedral of the city was built between 1491-1498 and is dedicated to St. John Baptist. The stunning cathedral is small in size but the interior is beautifully decorated with many frescoes and saints. Since 1578 The Duomo has held the Holy Shroud, claimed to have wrapped the body of Christ. The chapel of the Holy Shroud was added to the palace in 1668-1694.

 

The bell tower.

 

Right in front of the cathedral are the Palatine Towers, a Roman age city gate, representing the Roman past of Turin.

 

Going back to the main square we stopped at the Civic Museum of Ancient Art, so impressive with its outstanding Medieval and Renaissance collections. The building is also known as Palazzo Madama was used by the house of Savoy as a residence for guests. In 1637 the regent Christine Marie of France chose it as her personal residence.

 

Excellent place to take a picture in a sunny day.

 

The back site of the building still has its appearance of a castle.

Exploring the city we reach Piazza San Carlo, lined with its porticos and surrounded by historical cafes and lovely shops. This is a nice square to stroll or just to sit and taste the traditional hot drink Bicerin and enjoy the vivid atmosphere.

Fountains, statues, palaces, art galleries here is everything we would expect to see in the first capital of Italy.

The statue of Emmanuel Phillibert is located at the center of the square.

 

Close are also the twin churches Santa Christina and San Carlo Borromeo.

 

Piazza Carignano is dominated by Palazzo Carignano. The construction of the building was ordered by Emmanuel Phillibert. The nice square is very close to the Egyptian museum which has the biggest collection of Egyptian antiquities, located outside of Egypt.

 

Via Po is another impressive central street with colonnades. The street is a real pleasure to just walk along and enjoying the atmosphere.

At the end of the street and close to Po River is our favorite church Gran Madre di Dio.

Close to Piazza Vittorio Venetto, the imposing and mysterious church is related to the legend of the Holy Grail. The church was constructed to commemorate the return of King Vittoiro Emanuele I to the throne.

 

The symbol of Turin is Mole Antonelliana, it was built for a Jewish synagogue.

The unique architectural building today houses the National Museum of Cinema. A glass elevator takes us to an observational platform revealing breathtaking views of the city and the region.

What an amazing and great monument!

 

Turin is unforgettable with its cheerfulness and cosmopolitan charm. The city offers a large number of attractions which are worth seeing and experiencing. Interesting museums and rich cultural landscapes are the attractions which make spending time here so appealing.