Good linving in Turin, Italy

Turin is probably not the most known city of Italy, when you think of Italy you first think of cities like Rome, Florence, Milan, or Venice, but Turin is a city that has its charm, with an elegant culture of Cafes and a vibrant life of good restaurants, wines, and foods.

Turin is the capital of Piedmont, a region in the northwest of Italy, home to the Fiat group, and one of the best wine regions of Italy. 

But Turin is also known for the Shroud of Turin, a linen cloth bearing the image of a man who appears to have suffered crucifixion and that it is believed by some to be the burial shroud of Jesus, although studies say it is from the Medieval period.

Where to Stay in Turin

Surely, the city center near Pizza Castello would be one of the best places to find good hotels and the place from where you can walk to almost all the main attractions that Turin has, as 90% of the historical sites are located in this zone. But there is also the zone of Porta Nova, a good place to find good hotels, and close to train stations, buses, and Metro, and at a walking distance from the city center, going through the main shopping streets.

Piazza San Carlo

 What Attractions do you have in Turin?

Like other European cities, Turin is a city with many historical attractions, but it is also a nice city to go shopping for clothes and especially to enjoy good food, wine, and chocolates.

Commercial and Shopping

Turin is a great city to go shopping especially for buying any food product, especially chocolates, Via Roma, is the main commercial street, it starts at Piazza Castello and connects directly to Piazza Carlo Felice. It is the main street of Turin, as thousands of tourists walk this street for shopping, and enjoy the great restaurants and delis that are in this zone, but it is also visited by tourists to admire the Baroque architecture near Piazza Castello.

Turin has Europe's largest open-air market, Porta Palazzo, you can find almost anything in Porta Palazzo, this open-air market offers products from all over Northern Italy, from clothes to jewelry, home decor to toys, and of course great food. To find Porta Palazzo you must go to the Piazza Della Republica in the city center, the market is open from Mondays to Fridays from 8.3o to 13.30 and on Saturdays until 18.30hs.

If you are looking for Antiques, then you must go to Gran Balon, an antique fair that is held every Saturday, and where you can find antiques from all over Italy. It is located near Porta Palazzo in the Piazza Della Republica.

Historic Sites

Pallazo Madama
Located in Piazza Castello, this medieval castle with a Baroque facade was built in the 14th century and is home to the Museo Civico di Arte Antica.

Mole Antonelliana

Piazza Vittorio Veneto
Not only a great shopping destination but also a fantastic place surrounded by castles and a great view of the river Po. Piazza Vittorio Venetto is located over the river Po at the end of Via Po (Po Street)

Castello del Valentino
Located in the Parco del Valentino, Princess Christine Marie of France, wife of Victor Amadeo I ordered the construction of this Castle, which was built between 1630 and 1660.

Po Street (Via Po)
Po Street connects Piazza Castello to the river Po, with an elegant architecture with palaces ornamented with arcades, this street offers tourists records and clothing stores. 

Piazza di Pallazo di Citta
Built in the 17th century, the City Hall Square is located very near Piazza Castello to the north.  In Piazza di Palazzo di Citta is located the City Palace with statues honoring important Turin's culture and government personalities.

Palatine Door
This gate from the Roman Empire ages is one of the best-preserved Roman architecture in Turin, located in the Parco Archeologico (Archeological park), just a couple of blocks from Piazza Castello, to arrive there you can walk along Via XX Settembre until you find Porta Palatina.

Lingotto
This place was the original home of FIAT, nowadays it is a futuristic complex that holds conventions and fairs. 

Piazza San Carlo
Connected to Piazza Castello through Via Roma, this place is one of the most spectacular places in Turin.  Cafes, Restaurants, Historic buildings, Churches, and Monuments combine in the Piazza San Carlo.

Piazza Castello
It can be considered the city center of Turin, as the most important streets begin here. It was built in the mid 16th century. In Piazza Castello you'll find great Cafes, but also a lot of the most important historic buildings are in Piazza Castello, such as Palazzo Madama, Palazzo Reale, the Royal Library, and the Royal Theater.

Mole Antonelliana
The Mole Antonelliana is the symbol of the city of Turin, built-in 1863 by architect Alessandro Antonelli is now the home of the collection of the National Cinema Museum. It is located via Ontebello, about 5 blocks from Piazza Castello.

Palazzo Reale
Located very near Piazza Castello, this Baroque-style building was built in 1645 and it is the home of the Armeria Reale (Royal Armory) with a collection of 16th and 17th-century armor.

Museums

Egyptian Museum
The Egyptian Museum of Turin has one of the greatest collections of Egyptian antiques. Sarcophagi, mummies, canopic jars, and objects from antique Egypt can be found in the Museum. Located  between Piazza Castello and Piazza San Carlo, in Via Accademia delle Scienze.

National Cinema Museum
The National Cinema Museum was opened in the year 2000, and houses pre-cinematographic optical devices such as magic lanterns, earlier and current film technologies, stage items from early Italian movies, and other memorabilia. The Museum is inside the Mole Antonelliana building.

Galleria Sabauda
The Galleria Sabauda holds a great collection of art of the Savoy House. It is exhibited in a chronological manner and shows art from the 15th to the 18th century.

Museo di Arte di Palazzo Madama
The Museum has a collection of 70.000 art objects from the Middle Ages to the Baroque. Located in the Palazzo Madama.

Galleria Civica D'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea
This Museum is dedicated almost exclusively to Italian art from the 19th and 20th centuries. It has a large collection of Sculptures and paints of artists of the Piedmontese artistic scene. Located in via Magente 31.

Carlo di Ruffia Automobile Museum.
The Carlo di Ruffia Automobile Museum has a large collection of automobiles and shows the history and evolution of motor cars as well as the social themes linked to them. Located in Corso Unità d'Italia 40.

Borgo del Medioevo
Located inside Parco Valentino, Borgo dei Medioevo is a medieval village from the 15th century remade to find everything it is expected to be found in a Piedmontese village of that age.

Porta Palatina

 

Religious Buildings

Duomo di Torino
Also called the Capella Della Sacra Sindone(Chapel of the Holy Shroud) this chapel is home to the Shroud of Turin. The building is of a great Baroque style and was built in 1498. It is located in Via XX Settembre  79, north of Piazza Castello and very near Porta Palatina.

Superga
Perhaps the Basilica of Superga is the place farther from the city center that you will visit, built between 1717 and 1731 on the top of a hill, the Basilica di Superga has a fantastic view of the city, the Po valley, and the Alps. It was built as a promise of tribute to the Virgin Mary that Duke Vittorio Amadeo II made if she helped the Savoy army against the French in battle. The church contains the tombs of many princes and kings of the House of Savoy, including Duke Vittorio Amadeo II.

 

Parks and sightseeing

Parco del Valentino
Parco Valentino is a 450.000 square meters green lung in Turin. Over the river Po, Parco del Valentino offers the opportunity not only to enjoy green in the city but also to enjoy places like the Exhibition Palace, the New Theatre, the Valentino Castle, and the Borgo del Medioevo, a medieval village remade with castles and buildings.

Monte dei Cappuccini
On the other side of the Po river, you will find Monte dei Cappuccini, a hill with a Church, a convent, and the National Mountain Museum. There is also the Iron fencing of the Lourdes grotto and the statue of Holly Mother.


Turin is a magnificent city that can be enjoyed having a coffee at elegant cafes, having dinner at great restaurants, or tasting the great wines of the region, while you visit historic places, see great art and enjoy its fantastic architecture.