Founded by Emperor Augustus in 28 b.C., the city has been a major European political centre during the XV-XVI centuries and became the first capital of the unified Italy in 1861.
Walking through its elegant boulevards and admiring its architecture, you will cross different epochs and cultural influences: from the Roman urban design, to the magnificent baroque buildings and
portici of a French taste.
The variety of museums in Turin reflects the multifaceted soul of this town, which is not only extremely rich in culture, but is also a crucial industrial centre for Italy. This became clear especially in 2006, when the Olympic Winter Games showed the world a surprising city, still attached to its industrial path while transforming into a hub of innovation, culture and high quality of life. World-renowned Juventus football club – one of Torino’s glories – has its brand-new
Stadium in town, alongside the world’s second-largest Egyptian antiques museum after Cairo (
Museo Egizio), the
Automobile Museum, the
Cinema Museum (few know that in the early days cinema was being developed here), and the Mountain Museum (
Museo Nazionale della Montagna), aptly located on Torino’s hills overlooking the Alps.
Turin is also one of the training headquarters of the EU and the UN System, hosting the European Training Foundation
(
ETF) and the UN Staff College (
UNSSC), together with the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (
UNICRI) and the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization (
ITC-ILO). UNESCO has recently approved the creation of a centre for research on world cultural heritage to be based in the baroque
Venaria Reale palace.
While rambling along the streets, it’s a must to stop by one of the myriad art-nouveau cafes and restaurants to enjoy the local foods and drinks. A paradise for foodies, and
Italian gastronomic capital, Turin and Piedmont in general are home of world-famous wines, whether one is looking for whites (Gavi, Arneis, Moscato), superb reds (Dolcetto, Grignolino, Barbera, Nebbiolo, Barbaresco and Barolo), or sparkling wines, which, through Martini & Rossi, gave rise to the tradition of Asti Spumante. Most of these renowned vineyards are located in the
Langhe, an area which is inscribed on UNESCO World’ Heritage list for its cultural landscape, and for the historical and traditional value that this land represents.
A good glass of wine, or a
Martini cocktail are the unmissable ingredients for the classic
aperitivo, traditionally accompanied with tasty snacks. Seemingly closer to the Northern European no-nonsense, hard-working style than it is to Italy’s Mediterranean allure, Torino transforms at sunset, with people enjoying live jazz, exclusive dj sets, the local philharmonic orchestra performances, theatre and opera, but also shows, cabaret, literary cafes, street festivals and “notti bianche”, all night non-stop events that animate the city streets until dawn.
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