Torino

About a month ago, I headed on a brief work trip to Torino. Also known as Turin, or the site of the 2006 Olympic Winter Games, this city is OLD with roots that date back to it's origins as a Roman camp in the first century, BC. Just under two hours away from Milan (less by car), it's even easily do-able as a day trip.

Despite only have one night in Torino, I was determined to cram in as many sights as possible. With a hotel downtown, I found out that this would be very easy. Torino is a compact city with wide sidewalks made for strolling along the boulevards. In my short time, I fell in love with Turin. It took my favorite aspects of Milan (the "Italian" feeling and the lack of English signage) with my favorite parts of Rome (charm, and lack of crazy hustle & bustle) to create a Francophile's Italian city. Why is this a perfect city for Francophiles, parce que the Savoys of France had a heavy hand in development and architecture from the fifteenth through eighteenth centuries. You can feel it in the big piazzas with their active cafes (feels like St. Germaine) or the wide arcade walk-ways that evoke Paris and its Grandes Boulevardes. Is it any wonder that I, a confirmed fan of Paris, fell in love?

While my hotel room was plenty plush, my co-worker definitely had the better view. The red roofs of Turin and the domed roof of the Mole Antonelliana were protected back in the Roman, Lombard, and Savoy days but the Alps (on the north and west) and the hills of Monferrato.


After work, I started out my sightseeing with a visit to the famous chocolate shop, Peyrano.


Turin is actually the birthplace of solid (versus drinkable) chocolate and Peyrano is one of Turin's most respected producers. With their origins going back to a regular candy shop back in 1914, it is still their version of Gianduiotto that keeps winning acclaims in a town with lots of competition.


Each spring, Turin plays host to an annual chocolate festival called Cioccolato with tastings, chocolate-based literature readings, and theater inspired by chocolate. Even though I have no earthly idea what "chocolate-based literature and theater" could actually be, I'm intrigued enough to want to find out this spring!

After grabbing some chocolates to take home, I strolled back downtown. Via Roma is the main shopping street that cuts through the center of town to some of the major sights. With distractions along the way ranging from Cartier to Zara Home, that was my chosen route. I mentioned the arcades before and want to reiterate, they are stunning. Also, with the slightly drizzly weather that popped up in the early evening, they were very handy to stay dry! Supposedly, the 18km of arcades were constructed back in the days of royalty so that the king could stay covered wherever he went around the city.

Via Rome feeds into the Piazza San Carlo, where a statue of Emanuele Filibertois flanked by the twin churches - Chiesa di San Carlo and Chiesa di Santa Cristina.


Piazza San Carlo is known as one of Turin's main drawing rooms and is home to cafes with spacious outdoor set-ups.


However, during my visit, the Piazza San Carlo was also home to a special photography exhibit titled Siddhartha, il Budda. The photographers explain the exhibit as an attempt to tell the story of Siddhartha through photographs of modern Indian and Buddist lives.


Finally, my walk ended at the Piazza Castello, Turin's grandest square and home to many museums, theaters, and cafes within the arcade walkways. This square was the base for the House of Savoy during their reign of the region and dominated by the Palazzo Madama (center in the below photograph). Built in the 13th century over an old Roman gate, this part-Baroque/part-Medievel castle was named after Madama Reale Maria Cristina, who lived there in the 17th century.


Even without the 2009 chocolate festival, Torino holds many promises of interesting sites to see and paths to walk. We will definitely be headed back.