Turin’s historical architecture is predominantly Baroque and was developed under the Kingdom of Savoy.
Nonetheless the main street of the city centre, Via Roma, was built during the Fascist era (from 1931 to 1937) as an example of Italian Rationalism, replacing former buildings already present in this area. Not far from Via Pò stands the symbol of Turin, namely the Mole Antonelliana, so named after the architect who built it, Alessandro Antonelli. It houses the National Museum of Cinema and it is believed to be the tallest museum in the world at 167 metres (548 feet).
West of the center stands the Quadrilatero Romano (Roman Quadrilateral), the old medieval district recently renewed. The current neighbourhood is characterised by its tiny streets and its several medieval buildings and today it is popular for its aperitivo bars and its small shops run by local artisans.
The celebrated Parco del Valentino is situated in the east side of the city. Thanks to the vicinity to the city centre, the park is very popular among the local people, during the day but also at night, because of the several bars and nightclubs placed here. From the terraces of Parco del Valentino, many sights of the hills on the other side of the river can be appreciated. In the centre of the park stands the Castello del Valentino, built in the 17th century. This castle has a horseshoe shape, with four rectangular towers, one at each angle, and a wide inner court with a marble pavement. Another cluster of buildings in the park is the Borgo Medievale (Medieval village), a replica of medieval mountain castles of Piedmont and Aosta Valley, built for the 1884 International Exhibition.
Today, Turin could also be the blueprint for the post-industrial city of the future. Once Italy’s manufacturing powerhouse, spearheaded by the mighty Fiat, the city expanded rapidly beyond its elegant heart of Paris-style boulevards throughout the 20th century. But by the 1980s, global competition had put the brakes on the city’s economy: more than 100,000 workers lost their jobs and thriving factory districts withered to moribund hinterland. But since then this most pragmatic of Italian cities has chosen to invest and reinvent with gusto, carving out new cultural spaces, sprucing up old classics such as Museo Egizio and Del Cambio, and splurging on trams and metro trains.
From its capital city, Turin, to its mountainous border nearing France and the Langhe winemaking zone further south, local restaurants in Piedmont are proud to serve all the region’s traditional staples. In this northwestern part of Italy, sweet hazelnuts, prized white truffles, super-lean beef, bold red wines and fresh egg pastas are signature Piedmontese ingredients – discover the best of the region with our round-up of essential local dishes and the ristoranti, osterie and trattorie that serve them.
