It was soon time to say arrivederci to Padua. After another tasty breakfast in our hotel, it was time to set off and board our train to a new destination. Our high-speed Frecciarossa train took us through the beautiful Italian countryside, via Vicenza, Verona, Peschiera del Garda, Brescia and Milan, before delivering us to Turin just before midday. Three hours after leaving Padua we had arrived and we were ready to spend 48 hours in Turin, one of Italy’s former capitals.
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Checking-In
Our hotel for our 48 hours in Turin was some 4km outside of the city. Our first job was to source some 24-hour travel cards (€ 7.50 each) so that we could move around the city. After buying them, we hopped aboard the metro. Ten minutes later, we emerged into the blazing hot sunshine just 600m away from our hotel, the Double Tree by Hilton Turin Lingotto. This hotel was built on the site the historic former Fiat factory with its rooftop test track as featured in the film The Italian Job!
Check-in went well, and we were delighted to receive a complimentary (and rather large) chocolate-chip cookie as a welcoming gift. We were even more pleased when we entered the rooms and found a large bottle of water and a chocolate muffin as a bonus. Food is definitely the way to my heart.
Eataly Food Hall
Before long we were out and on the move again. We began our 48 hours in Turin with the Eataly across the road. This is a food hall just steps away from our hotel, promoting the very best of Italian produce.
With a good mix of food stalls offering everything Italian that you can think of, there was something for everyone. It would easily satisfy, if not excite, any food-lover. In addition, there were a selection of restaurants and shops selling kitchenware. I also found others with some Italian cookery books. There was also an Agrigelateria, a beer restaurant and a wine education shop. Overall, it was the perfect place to grab some lunch to begin our 48 hours in Turin. Let the exploring begin!
The Centre of Turin
Leaving the food hall behind, we travelled back into the centre of what was once Italy’s capital (1861-1865). Directly in front of Porta Nuovo station was the Piazza Carlo Felice. Here was the Sambuy Gardens with a fountain, windy paths, lawn and flowers; a green oasis welcoming the visitor. To the sides were two smaller piazzas, Piazza Paleocapa and Piazza Giuseppe Luigi Lagrange. Each of these had their entries framed by an impressive five-span arcades complete with stone balustrade. On the other side of the park was the southern end of the via Roma. Via Roma itself is one of Turin’s main streets running through the heart of its historical centre. 750 metres in length and flanked by shaded arcades it is the perfect setting for many different shops and cafes.
As we approached the Piazza C.L.N., the square opened up to reveal two fountains with allegorical figures. These represented the Po and Dora, the principle rivers of Turin. As we entered the Piazza San Carlo we the Baroque architecture shone through. The ensemble of Baroque architecture is so elegant that it has earned the square the nickname of ‘Turin’s drawing room’. It is one of the most beautiful and one of the most renowned squares in the city, with the churches of San Carlo and Santa Cristina flanking the southern entrance. At the centre of the square is the 19th century equestrian statue of the ‘Undefeated Duke’, Emanuele Filiberto. Over the the years has become an emblem of the city.
The beautiful square is also home to one of the finest, coffee-houses in Turin, Caffé Torino. This has a rich and varied history in which politicians, artists and anarchists have plotted and exchanged conversation. So far, an excellent start to the 48 hours in Turin.
Off to the Royal Palace
Leaving the square behind us we continued to explore. We set off in the direction of the Royal Palace, discovering the Galleria San Frederico (by accident) on our way. The pretty art deco passageway with its unique decoration is perfect for shopping and browsing. There is also the historic Lux Theatre here. This was apparently built in the 1930s to house high-end commercial units for the well to do residents of Turin.
The far end of the Galleria brought us out onto the Via Giambattista Viotti, which led us directly to the Piazza Castello. This is home to a collection of impressive buildings. Piazza Castello is dominated by the Palazzo Madame, part medieval (Castello degli Acaja), part Baroque. It is also the original seat of the Italian parliament, and was so admired by Napoleon it became his residence whilst in Turin.
Dating back to 1003 the Palazzo Castello was the centre of both political and social life in the city for centuries. With its Baroque façade at the front and the contrasting simplicity of the medieval rear, Palazzo Castello is certainly a unique structure. Another remarkable, major landmark is the Palazzo Reale, another Baroque masterpiece; the historic palace of the House of Savoy. Included in the complex are the Palazzo Chiablese and the Chapel of the Holy Shroud, constructed at the end of the 17th century to house the famous religious artefact, the Turin shroud. In fact, wherever you looked there were arcades, elegant façades, statuary, ranging from the bronze equestrian statues of Castor and Pollux flanking the entrance to the royal palace, to the monument to the Knights of Italy, churches and a skyline broken by spires, towers and domes. A powerful statement of the importance of Turin, its wealth, its far-reaching historical significance in terms of government, its support of the arts, its culture and its industry, past and present
After a brief look around, we set off to explore the surrounding area – mostly made up of shopping streets to the left of the palace complex and quite quickly found ourselves a gelataria where we sampled yet more Italian ice cream.
Refreshed and recharged we covered yet more of the city centre, ticking off more sights including the Palatine Gate and the city cathedral, along with another beautiful gallery complex, before winding up back in the central square where the heavens opened and we decided to bring our afternoon of exploring to a halt and head back to our hotel to relax.
The next day..
After another hearty breakfast we prepared ourselves for the day ahead. We had decided to travel out of the city to visit La Venaria Reale (the royal residences of the House of Savoy). The trip into the city took us to Turin Porta Susa, the departure point for the buses which would take us the 8 km or so northwest to the Palace and drop us off close-by. After some confusion we found our bus-stop, on Piazza XVIII Dicembre (stop 28) and waited for the bus.
Not the best choice of bus or route as our journey zig-zagged through the suburbs on roads that were in need of attention. However, 40 minutes later (and 27 stops) we were informed that we had arrived. This also proved to be not quite true as there was still the best part of a kilometre to walk before we reached the main gates of the palace. The sun, as we had become accustomated to, was strong and the temperatures were rising (30⁰C+) so having ‘arrived’ we headed for the first café and ordered drinks.
From the café/ restaurant (Il Convito della Venaria) we could see across the Piazza della Repubblica to the main entrance, a freshly painted white clock tower, some 20 metres high. Beyond, the ‘Cour d’honneur’ (Honour Court(yard)) opened up and the eastern façade of the Reggia was revealed. To our left was the Belvedere Tower and tucked just around the corner the Church of Saint Uberto. Quite a lot to take in, and little wonder that La Venaria Reale is often compared to Versailles.
As time was short and the cost of a combined ticket to visit the Reggia and Gardens was €20, we decided to opt just for the Gardens (€5). As we entered the ‘Cour d’honneur’ music was playing (Beethoven’s 9th) in concert with the central fountain and the clock was just striking 10 so our arrival showed excellent timing.
As well as being a royal palace, La Venaria Reale represents one of the most important centres for art and culture in Italy, and this can be seen at almost every turn as you wander through the grounds. The whole complex with its fine Baroque architecture, buildings and landscaped gardens fully deserves its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Our tour of the gardens took us along the northern boundary of the palace to the landscaped floral gardens and the eastern end of the long central alley of Hercules with its canal stretching out into the distance, beyond which stood the peaks of the Western Alps. There was so much to take in, the gardens, the various sculpted elements (trees, huge trunks, marble and bronze fountains) and, of course, the buildings themselves. Time was against us, so we slowly turned back to the palace buildings and looked for the exit. As luck would have it we entered the house from the Grand Parterre and ventured into the bookshop to ask directions and seemed to be taken for visitors to the house itself as our instructions took us through the state rooms and the Great Gallery. An unexpected bonus and one which we took full advantage of.
For the return trip to the city we caught the No 3991 bus from the bus stop (9013) on the viale Carlo Emanuele II, only a couple of minutes’ walk from the clock tower. Compared to our earlier experience this option provided a quicker (30 min and only 4 stops) route and also a more pleasant ride (there were curtains at the windows), so it obviously pays to do some research/ ask a local.
Back in the city, we were keen to continuing seeing the sights and so we set off from the Piazza XVIII Dicembre along the Corso to the Piazza Statuto where we had spotted an impressive piece of sculpture, the Fountain of Fréjus. The story behind the statue and its immediate surroundings is long and steeped in folklore. To some this area represents the ‘black heart’ of the city and with the entrance to the ‘secret underworld’ of the city’s sewers close by there is an air of mystery and magic about the place. The statue was actually conceived to commemorate the inauguration of the Fréjus tunnel linking Italy and France and consists of a pyramid of boulders from the tunnel’s excavation surmounted by a winged Genius or guardian angel looking down upon the bodies of slaughtered Titans – the triumph of reason over brute force. Today, it is more likely to be interpreted as representing the suffering of the miners as they hacked away, day after day, to create the tunnel.
Keeping to the shade of the arcade we continued along the length of the Piazza Statuto to the via Giuseppe Garibaldi as far as the Church of Saint Dalmazzo, with its colourful Baroque façade. At this point, we all decided it was time for lunch, so departing from the busy thoroughfare that was via Giuseppe Garibaldi we turned right onto the via della Orfane to the via Corte d’Appello where we happened upon the Osteria al Tagliere which appeared quiet but inviting so we checked out the menu, found enough to satisfy our varied tastes and entered. The next hour was just what we needed, good food, excellent wine and an attentive waiter.
Feeling suitably rested, fed and contented we said our goodbyes to our friendly waiter and resumed our stroll around Turin.
Our next port of call was to be the elegant Piazza Palazzo di Città, characterised by its symmetry and simplicity and unusual roofed areas between the rectangular pillars supporting the arches either side. (Research reveals that in the days when there was a fruit and veg market operating in the square porters would station themselves in such sheltered spots and wait to be hailed by the traders.) The square today is home to the city’s Town Hall and a monument to Conte Verdi (Amadeus VI, Count of Savoy) who in the 14th century significantly extended Savoy’s territory and power.
As we continued our walk along the via Palazzo di Città we could see in front of us the upper half of the dome and tapering spire of the Mole (Antonelliana) in the distance. Slowly, this perspective changed as we entered the Piazza Castello, the buildings at the far end obscuring our view.
The aim of our walk now was the Mole Antonelliano so we exited the Piazza via the via Giuseppe Verdi, passing the Opera House as we went. It was not long before we reached the corner of via Montebello and caught our first glimpse of the monumental building that was the Mole. Standing some 167.5 metres and topped with a 4-faced dome, crowned by an impressive spire, the Mole was, at the time of completion, the tallest unreinforced brick building in the world. A true architectural masterpiece of its time, and one that still impresses. Originally conceived as a synagogue the Mole is now home to the National Museum of Cinema but is probably better known for its shaft-less glass elevator that transports the intrepid visitor up through the void to the terrace 85 metres above to gain a 360⁰ panoramic view across the city. Obviously we just had to go up and see the views for ourselves!
It was soon time to head back to our hotel and pack ready for our day of travel ahead. The late evening sunshine enhanced the view from our hotel room window, revealing the distant mountain peaks and the city skyline. Our introduction to Turin was fast coming to an end but we had seen enough to wet our appetites and we all agreed a second visit was essential to investigate further all that the city had to offer. Despite the list of places we had visited, and sights we had seen, we felt that we had only just scratched the surface of this remarkable and architecturally beautiful city.
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I hope you enjoyed my mega post on our 48 hours in Turin. Please let me know if there is anything we missed out on our short visit! Until next time, love V x
