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A Photo Album of Turin |
Do you love museums but loathe crowds? Are you interested in ancient Egypt, the Italian
Renaissance, 15th- through 18th-century northern European paintings, contemporary art, extravagant royal dwellings,
the best car design in the world, great shopping, haute cuisine, chocolate and/or coffee? If you answered "Yes!" to
any of the above, we urge you to include Turin in your next Italian itinerary. Not only is it a magnificent
Baroque capital, but its miles and miles of covered sidewalks make it a pleasant place to stroll in any weather,
and its half dozen world-class museums (which have absolutely no reason to envy their sisters in Florence
and Rome) offer excellent English explanations and are almost always near-to-deserted. We once actually spent
three hours totally by ourselves in a vast picture gallery that has few rivals anywhere on earth! Add a striking
backdrop of perennially snow-capped Alps, a local obsession with sweets and coffee and well, you have the
perfect reason to spend two or three fascinating days in this user-friendly destination.
Little
is known about Turasia before 218 BC, when Hannibal and his elephants marched through on their descent from
the Alps towards Rome. After this, Julius Caesar fortified the city, baptized it Taurinorum and awarded Roman
citizenship to its residents. Few signs of this period remain, with three notable exceptions: the amphitheatre
next to the cathedral of San Giovanni; a section of the original city wall now incorporated into the Egyptian
Museum; and the spectacular Porta Palatina, probably the best preserved example of a Roman city gate anywhere
in the world. Through the years, Turin was repeatedly plundered by the Lombards, until a mini-moment of glory
in 1046, when the local heiress married Oddone, the first Count of Savoy. This extremely wealthy family, which
would go on to be related by marriage to almost every royal house in Europe, played tug-of-war for the territory
with France until 1861 when the Savoys finally ended up ruling over the Kingdom of Italy; Turin was its first
capital (for four years).
Political
and religious intrigues aside, the appearance here is that history began in the late 18th century, at a time
when three great architects practically rebuilt the backwater capital from the ground up. Their work is visible
all over, but nowhere more dramatically than in Piazza Castello, flanked by Amedeo di Castellamonte's Palazzo
Reale, Guarino Guarini's church of San Lorenzo, and Filippo Juvarra's Palazzo Madama. These three men, especially
Juvarra, made Turin an architecturally homogenous showpiece of the Baroque and rococo.
From
Piazza Castello, walk beneath the porticoes of Via Roma, the city's most elegant shopping street, until you
come to lovely Piazza Carignano. Get here early, because you can easily spend the entire morning in the Palazzo
dell'Accademia delle Scienze, home of the Museo Egizio, which for Egyptian artifacts is second only to the
Archeological Museum in Cairo (and frankly, if you consider its excellent English-language explanations, we
consider it the world's BEST Egyptian museum). But start your visit on the floors above, in the Galleria Sabauda,
the excellent private collection of the Savoy Dukes, who were as collection-crazy as any royal family. The
fruits of their buying frenzies far outshine the Borghese's or Brera's, are almost as vast as the Uffizi's,
and include Italy's largest set of Flemish works. The portraits, battle recreations, scenes from life in the
17th and 18th centuries, still lives, and paintings range from early Renaissance religious art to late 18th-century
masterpieces. Amongst the countless treasures are works by Beato Angelico, Filippino Lippi, Botticelli, the
Bellinis, Mantegna, Sodoma (his Sacred Family includes the most human St. Joseph we have ever seen), Van Eyck,
Van Dyck, Guido Reni, Rembrandt, Rubens, Orazio Gentileschi, Veronese, Tintoretto, Tiepolo, Sassoferrato,
Guercino, Velasquez, Van Wittel (who portrays the Coliseum and Forum in open countryside in 1711), Duccio
di Buoninsegna, Melozzi da Forli' (with two angels, of course), Signorelli, Titian, Palma The Elder and Guardi.
Lesser-known artists include Bellotto (views of 18th-century Turin), Abraham Constantin (exquisite miniature
portraits), and Defendente Ferrari (a local star). You can easily spend three hours here and be just as enlightened
and invigorated as you'd have been in the Vatican -- but without fighting the infuriating crowds. Click
here to see more paintings from the Galleria Sabauda.
But wait, there's more! The Egyptian Museum occupies the first three floors of this incredible
edifice. Click
here for a more detailed description of what we consider one of the richest and best-organized museums
on the planet.
When you emerge into the 21st century, you'll be ready for some R and R. Stroll through
Piazza San Carlo, one of Europe's most elegant squares, and duck back under the porticoes of Via Roma heading
towards Piazza Carlo Felice. All along this route and especially around the sides of this second square, you
will find a wide variety of cafes, restaurants and snack shops. Next, if you're interested in 19th- through
21st-century art, turn right and walk along tree-lined Corso Vittorio Emanuele to the Galleria Civica d'Arte
Moderna at Via Magenta 31. (Along the way you can cap off your lunch with an espresso at one of the prettiest
cafes in this world capital of the café: Platti is located on the corner with Corso Re Umberto. And
go ahead, indulge in a bite-sized sweet to boot! They're fresh, they're sinful and they're part of the Turin
experience!).
The
Galleria Civica d'Arte Moderna -- or GAM, as it is known locally -- is another place where you are likely
to encounter few if any other visitors. Atop the building is its motto, "All Art
Has Been Contemporary!" and
we urge you to remember this broad-minded outlook when you finally get to the most recent works on display!
Your visit will start with the 18th century, where almost at once you'll see Andrea Gastaldi's moving portrait
of Pietro Micca, a young Savoyard soldier who was defending Turin against the French in 1706. Being on duty
in the underground gallery that led into the city, Micca heard gunfire and correctly assumed that the enemy
forces were about to overrun their defenses. Realizing he and his companion would not be able to keep them
from invading the city, he ordered the other soldier to escape, then lit a very short fuse that set off 20
kg of gunpowder, killing him, collapsing the gallery, and making it impossible for the French to move in.
This one act saved Turin, and the humble Micca's name is still a local household word. Gastaldi depicts him
just before he lights the fuse, as he looks to Heaven for strength. Another work we love is Arturo Faldi's "La
sposa del padroncino (The Young Owner's New Wife)," which offers a wonderful insight into local life
of the time. Other artists present throughout the gallery are Modigliani, Balla, Severini, Dix, Picabia, Carra',
Morandi, De Pisis, De Chirico, Depero, Savinio, Prampolini, Fontana, Picasso, Burri, Consagra, Guttuso and
Schifano; and there is a small but excellent collection of photographs.
These three museums are probably enough for one day, but if you still have strength for
more, take a taxi to Via Giuseppe Verdi. You'll immediately spot your next destination, the Mole Antonelliana,
a 500-foot-tall architectural pastiche built as a synagogue in 1863. From a platform halfway up its façade
(don't worry, an elevator whisks you there), you'll have a marvelous view of the city, starting from the Royal
Gardens just below. These days the Mole is also home to the Museo del Cinema, which might interest aficionados
of neorealismo.
The museum offers a constant cycle of exhibits about world cinema, and the pedestrian-only streets around
it host an excellent collection of local and ethnic eateries and -- what else? -- cafés. If you still
aren't ready to call it a day, the multiplex cinema across the street often has English-language films with
Italian subtitles (look for the initials V.O. on the poster: this means the film will be shown in the original
language).
On your second day, head back to Piazza Castello for a deep-immersion course in period
furnishings. Remember, the Savoys were intermarried with everyone, and for centuries they played a game of
Keeping Up With The Joneses. If you can't make it to Versailles (or if you'd like to see the Savoy version),
visit the Royal Apartments in the Palazzo Reale.
More treasures are around the corner. Next to the Roman amphitheatre and Porta Palatina
is the cathedral of San Giovanni, where a reproduction of the much disputed Holy Shroud is on view. Even if
you don't believe this was actually the cloth Jesus was wrapped in after He was removed from the cross, you'll
probably enjoy the extraordinary Baroque chapel Guarino Guarini designed to house it. Also interesting is
the Cappella dei Banchieri e Mercanti in Via Garibaldi (closed July 1-September 15). This is a theme chapel,
a Baroque representation of the Christmas story as told by 17th-century artists on canvas and in marble. Via
Garibaldi is another great street to stroll along, because it is a long, wide pedestrian-only avenue lined
with restaurants, ice cream shops, and dozens of clothing boutiques.
Once again in Piazza Castello, museum addicts can continue their high viewing the more
than 30,000 paintings, sculptures, miniatures, gold, silver and decorative items at the Museo Civico d'Arte
Antica in Palazzo Madama (again, there is no such thing as a "crowd" here). Lovers of historic warfare
should step around the corner to visit the Armeria Reale, one of Europe's best weapons and armor museums.
Elsewhere in the city, car aficionados will want to see the Museo dell'Automobile in
Corso d'Unità d'Italia
(take bus #34 from the Porta Nuova train station in Corso Vittorio Emanuele II). Or take the one-of-a-kind
tramway up a thrillingly steep hill to visit the extravagantly Baroque Superga Basilica and enjoy sweeping
views of the city and the Alps. Oh, and if you insist on seeing something medieval, take a 15-minute ride
on the Po River excursion boat to the Borgo Medioevale in Parco del Valentino. The Borgo was built in 1884,
but it's an "authentic reproduction." While you're there you might want to enjoy a picnic in one
of Europe's loveliest urban parks.
After
such a dazzling array of sights, you will definitely want to participate in the locals' favorite activity, l'aperitivo,
a cocktail hour that begins at sunset. Choose any of the countless bars that snuggle under Turin's miles and
miles of covered arcades, order a drink, fill your plate with gourmet snacks, and take a deserved break before
ambling off to a dinner of renowned local specialties. For a unique treat, try La Pista, an haute cuisine
splurge that occupies the rooftop former test course of a now dormant Fiat factory. To get there, your taxi
will whisk you up the most famous cement ramp ever built.
by Kristin
Jarratt
If you would like to spend a night or two in one of Turin's loveliest and most centrally located hotels, please click here for details.
Click here for more pictures from Turin.
If you have time to stay longer in this area, you might want to consider taking a day trip to Aosta, about 90 minutes away. Nestled at the base of the French Alps (Mont Blanc is 30km away), it was a Roman fortified town built to head off the barbarian invaders at the pass. Much of the ancient city is still visible, making Aosta as different from Turin as two cities can be. You can easily see Aosta on foot in a day. Click here for more information.
The city of Turin is trying very hard to be visitor friendly. They offer a call center that answers every day 9:30 am - 9:30 pm. Dial (+39) 011-535-181, or email them.
For more information about Turin's museums, click here.
For a schedule of opera and ballet at Turin's famed Teatro San Carlo, click
here.
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Italy] [Back to Piedmont] |
A Photo Album of Turin |