The French architect Le Corbusier praised Turin as “the city with the most beautiful natural location” The proximity to the Alps accounts for some of the beauty, but a significant part comes from Turin’s extensive parks and gardens, and its hundreds of kilometres of tree-lined streets. In total more than 17 parks, and the new Parco Dora will eventually provide another 45 hectares of greenery for the Torinese. It’s no wonder that for many this is Italy’s greenest city. To fully enjoy the charm of the hill that embraces the city and the banks of the River Po, Turin can also be admired from the Valentino boat, which takes the visitor on an evocative river trip from the Murazzi up to the Medieval Village: six to eight kilometres long, the boat’s progress up and down stream unfolds views of entrancing buildings, majestic bridges, luxurious gardens, as well as the Castle of the Valentino and the fascinating Medieval Village. Built for the Italian Universal Exhibition in 1884, this Village reproduces a number of typical medieval building types. The first rowing clubs were founded during the years at the turn of the 20th century: the Esperia and the Armida. Whole generations have devoted themselves to the ‘oar’ and various champions have brought much prestige to their city, united by their love for the Po, a marvellous sports backdrop.

The city’s Royal Palace, symbol of Savoy absolutism, was the ideal perspective point of the “Crown “, whose properties also comprised the Castles of Rivoli, Moncalieri and Valentino, the Royal Palace of Venaria Reale, the vineyard on the hills (later to become the “Villa della Regina”)  and the Hunting Lodge of Stupinigi. Starting from the mid-18^th century, new demands of an a economic nature determined the transformation of some of the Savoy’s possessions (originally exclusive “places of delight” in which to practice hunting), such as the residences of Racconigi, Pollenzo, Govone and La Mandria. into agricultural or farming production firms. 

RIVOLI CASTLE

The first in Italy to show exhibitions of contemporary art: this is the merit of the Museum of Contemporary Art housed in Rivoli Castle. Used as a Royal Residence since 1978, Rivoli Castle houses the first contemporary art museum of the region. It is an imposing Baroque building designed by Filippo Juvarra for Vittorio Amedeo II. Only 15 kilometres from the historic centre, it is well worth visiting and looking at the permanent collection, instituted in 1984 and continually increased with new acquisitions, donations and long term loans. There is also a marvellous Gallery, 140 metres long, where temporary exhibitions are held.

REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS (PALAZZO DELLA REGIONE)

As the future Regional headquarters, the Palazzo della Regione is currently being built and is due to become one of Europe’s largest buildings.  A symbol of extraordinary and disquieting beauty, this project has been designed by the genius of the architect Massimiliano Fuksas.

Amongst the most prominent projects of Turin’s great metamorphosis, the building will be represented by a glass tower, of more than one hundred meters in height and will host new offices, a congress auditorium and all related facilities and services.

Porta Palazzo Market is the largest market in Europe, with over 3,000 square meters of shops, 2,000 sq m. of indoor free space and 5,000 sq m. of parking, situated in an impressive pentagonal structure designed by the architect Massimiliano Fuksas. Every morning the Porta Palazzo Market (open Mon –Fri 7.30 a.m.-1.00p.m., Sat 7.30a.m.-7.30 p.m.) comes to life in Piazza della Repubblica. Just behind, north from Porta Palazzo, is a maze of streets housing the “Il Balôn” flea market (open Sat 7.30 a.m.-7.30p.m.). Every second Sunday, it expands into Gran Balôn (open 7.30a.m.-1.00p.m.) in which 200 stallholders sell their products from the whole of Piemont.

PALAZZO MADAMA

Palazzo Madama is a historical and architectural complex located in Piazza Castello in the heart of the city of Turin. Nowadays, the palace hosts the Civic Museum of Ancient Art, while in the past it was originally built by the Romans as the door to the city, serving first as a defensive system, and later as a building and true symbol of the power  held by Turin until the 16th Century, when the current Royal Palace became the preferred home to the Duke of Savoy.

Following major changes and embellishments during the reign of the two Royal Ladyships, the old medieval castle was upgraded thanks to the work of the architect of the House of Savoy: Filippo Juvarra, who created the great facade that now dominates the homonymous square.

In 2006 Turin hosted the Winter Olympics, (or XX Olympic Winter Games), a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated from 10th – 26th February 2006, marking the second time that Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games (the first being the VII Olympic Winter Games in Cortina d’Ampezzo in 1956). 

The Games featured 15 sports and 84 medal events as well as the introduction of new disciplines such as biathlon, team sprint cross country skiing, snowboard cross and team pursuit speedskating in the Olympic sphere. The women’s 30 km distance and classical men’s 50 km,  held during the previous Winter Games in 2002, were not held in these Games, as these events were alternated with freestyle events of the same distances.

The Olympic Games represented an opportunity to revive the city’s look and transform its traditional image as an industrial city by showing the world its lesser known side of stunning architectures and vibrant cultural life. Thanks to media exposure during the Olympics, and state of the art venues, Turin became not only an important sport center for Europe and Italy, but also a tourist destination amongst the greatest in Europe.

Turin is said to be the world centre of both black  magic (evil) and white magic (good). Occultists say it is one of the three points of the triangle of white magic (with Prague and Lyon) and the triangle of black magic (with London and San Francisco)

What is the secret of so much magic? Synchronic lines, mysterious arteries of energy that intersect precisely in Turin and almost explode at the confluence of two rivers that Turin is built on: the Po and the Dora, which form a ring of water around the city. 

MOLE ANTONELLIANA

Originally conceived in 1863 as a synagogue, the Mole Antonelliana is today the symbol of the city of Turin and home to one of the richest and most thrilling displays devoted to the film industry: the National Cinema Museum-Maria Adriana Prolo Foundation. With an exhibition area of 3,200 square metres arranged over 5 floors the museum traces the history of cinema in an exciting framework of theatrical sets, spectacular effects of light and shade and film projections, enriched with designs, sketches and photographs.

To cite a few numbers, the museum holds a library of 7,000 films, 9,000 objets d’art, paintings, old prints, and machinery for taking and projecting films, 125,000 photographic documents, 200,000 posters, more than 200 magic lanterns, 20,000 books and  3,000 magazines.

The high point… A bodice, shoes and jewels worn by Marilyn Monroe as well as unpublished photographs of the actress.

MEDIEVAL HAMLET

Built originally in the Parco del Valentino as a pavilion of the Turin International Exhibition which took place between April and November 1884, the hamlet and medieval fortress form today a museum dedicated to the middle ages. Though the site was in fact destined to be demolished following the event, it was left intact, becoming a museum in 1942. 

The hamlet represents a reasonably faithful reproduction of a typical late medieval village with its reconstructed streets,  churches, houses, squares, fountains and decorations of the time. It is surrounded by walls and fortifications and topped by a fortress, with access through a gateway tower and several typical active craft shops that have existed ever since 1884. 

LINGOTTO

Built in 1915 by Giacomo Mattè-Trucco, the Lingotto building was once FIAT’s original production plant.  Located in the district of Nizza Millefonti in Turin, the plant produced dozens of car models including the Topolino, the Balilla, the Torpedo, and the Fiat 1100R and the more recent Lancia Delta. But production ceased in 1982 following the relocation  to other facilities.

In the same year, following a joint venture led by FIAT efforts were made to promote the plant restructuring and recovery, though none of the 20 projects presented were ultimately selected. The project was finally granted to the Ligurian architect Renzo Piano in 1985, who transformed the old production plant into a true product of industrial archaeology. The Plant was thus divided into functional sectors: tertiary. residential, hospitality and cultural and whilst the building exterior remained unchanged, the interiors were considerably modified to meet the new requirements.

Thanks to the latest additions of the Lingotto Fair Centre in 1992 and the Shopping mall “8 Gallery” in 2002, Lingotto is now undoubtedly considered a true phenomenon of reconversion, a ‘city within a city’, where one can sleep, listen to classical music concerts, wander around the stands of international fairs, eat & drink, go shopping or go to the cinema. The Lingotto Fair Centre in particular, comprises a large exhibition area that hosts prestigious events like the Book Fair and the Food Fair (or Salone del Gusto).

But the most sophisticated and technological part of the building is reserved to the “Pinacoteca di Giovanni and Marella Agnelli”, an elegant picture gallery built high above the North Tower, in which 25 works by great artists such as Picasso, Dalì, Matisse and Canaletto, of inestimable value and never previously exhibited to the public, can be admired.  

JUVENTUS FOOTBALL CLUB  S.P.A.

Founded in Turin in 1897 by a group of local students, under the name of Sport Club Juventus, the world renowned  Juventus Footbal Club S.p.A. (also known locally as Juve) is the third oldest football club in Italy. Linked to the Agnelli family ever since the 1920s, the club has always played in the highest category in the Italian championships (known since 1929 as the “A League”) ever since its foundation (with the sole exclusion of the 2006-2007 season).

Nominated during the 20^th century by the International Institute of Football History & Statistics (with recognition by the FIFA), as one of the best football clubs in Italy and the second on a European level, in 1988 Juventus FC was awarded a special recognition as the first team in the history of football on a continental level, to have won all three major competitions: UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup Winner’s Cup and UEFA Europa League. In addition with the victory in 1985 of the Intercontinental Cup, Juventus became (and still detains the primacy) the only club in the world to have won at least once, all the official trophies on an international level.  

JUVENTUS MUSEUM

The Juventus Museum, is situated on the eastern entrance of the recently inaugurated Juventus Stadium. Built by the architect Benedetto Camerana, and opened on the 16^th May 2012, the museum is the first official football exhibition center dedicated to this famous Turin based team.

Amongst the many exhibits, the museum holds a collection of t-shirts of the most important players in the history of the football team, team trophies, interactive areas and historical team photos, as well as a dedicated area in memory of the Heysel victims, created in honour of the 25^th anniversary of the massacre.