Elegance underrated: TURIN!

Does the thought of thousands of tourists put you off a trip to Italy? Well, then give Turin a try! You won't see tour buses, and tour groups are made up mostly of Italian schoolchildren duly visiting the first capital city of unified Italy. True, it lacks the unique layout of Venice, the lofty Rennaissance creations of Florence, or the art treasures of two millenia that Rome can boast, but Turin is no wannabe. This is a supremely classy city, where covered arcades extend for kilometres and where spectacular squares, baroque palaces and art nouveau residences line streets that offer glimpses of snow-capped Alpine peaks in the distance. While many Italian city centres feel like mazes, Turin's layout is mostly a grid, and its immaculately clean streets reflect a distincly Northern European civic pride. Indeed, some of the squares and broad boulevards feel like they could be in Paris, and some of the abundant, decadent old cafés feel Viennese. The place feels a bit staid sometimes, but make no mistake: you are in Italy. This is the city of Fiat, Martini, Persol, Illy, Lavazza, Eataly and many other quintessentially Italian products. And it's the capital of the Piedmont, where the world movement for slow food and quality local artisan cooking got started, and where milk chocolate was invented. If it were in any other country, Turin would certainly be a vitim of its own charms and many more tourist would be going in droves. This city, of Olympic fame, is no secret, of course, but take advantage of the fact that it exists at all: A fascinating large Italian city with the requisite abundance of churches, museums, palaces, squares, shops and artistic treasures. Minus the crowds! :banana:

The first thing you'll notice as you get your bearings downtown, is the abundance of large squares with megalomaniac statues in the middle. These are the heroes of Italian unification. While the merits of these men and of unification itself continue to be debated, and the presence of these metal horses is bemoaned by some as an imposition on poor Turin, for the visitor they are quite a sight. Although they do look a lot alike. Don't use them to orient yourself! The next piazza with some dashing dude on horseback is surely just around the corner! :lol:


Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Piazza San Carlo is the second largest square in town, built in the Sixteenth Century. The statue here is of Emanuele Filiberto, the French royal who moved the capital of the Savoy lands to Turin, turning it into a royal capital.

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Right on this square, Caffè Torino is one of the oldest coffee houses in Europe.

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

On the South side of the square, the twin churches of Santa Cristina and Carlo Borromeo complete the spectacular ensemble.

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

This wouldn't be Italy without decadent Catholic churches, right? A few more: this is is the Church of the Consolation.

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

San Filippo Neri

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Just beyond the pretty squares, you'll quickly notice that this is a hardworking, industrious city, where locals walk quickly, even if they do hit the bars and cafés for the obligatory apperitivo.

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Covered passages are a feature of downtown Turin. This is the San Federico, a Musssolini-era concoction.

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Random impressions

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr


Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr

Turin, Italy by Alejandro, on Flickr