A CITY UNVEILED

The capital of the north-western Italian region of Piedmont sits graciously at the foot of the Alps, embraced by the rivers Dora to the north and Po to the east. Majestic snow-capped peaks frame this “beautiful city [whose] space goes beyond anything that has ever been imagined before”, as awestruck visitor Mark Twain declared in 1878. Magnificent mansions, elegant tree-lined boulevards, stately squares and lively art nouveau cafes still stand as reminders of Turin’s days of yore, when the city occupied a central position in Italy’s political life.

Known the world over as the birthplace of the country’s most iconic car manufacturer FIAT, the home of award-winning football club Juventus and the cradle of chocolate gianduiotti, Turin is replete with splendid artistic and architectural treasures, evidence of the city’s Baroque golden age and prime role as the seat of the House of Savoy.

Your guide will meet you at your accommodation and accompany you on a tour of Turin’s major landmarks. You will be led along handsome streets, past striking facades, in front of ancient Roman ruins while learning about the most significant moments in the city’s 2,000-year-old history.

You begin your day taking in the sights of the grandiose buildings that surround Piazza Castello, the beating heart of Turin. You will certainly notice the elaborate Palazzo Madama, whose premises now host the Civic Museum of Ancient Art, and Palazzo Reale, the former residence of the powerful ruling family. As your guide will explain, it is here that the very first aspirations for a united Italy began to germinate, ideas that shaped the identity and future course of a nation.

The nearby 15th century Cathedral of San Giovanni houses the much venerated relic of the Holy Shroud. Today this precious linen cloth, supposedly the burial garment of Jesus of Nazareth, bearing what are believed to be his image and crucifixion wounds, is safely locked away inside a case in the left aisle. Listen to your guide unravel the mysteries and contentions that envelop this sacred veil. Ongoing scientific investigations of the shroud’s authenticity have not yet provided us with irrefutable evidence of its dating and origin.

From here just a few steps will allow you to travel further back in time, to the days of Julia Taurinorum, when the city was first founded as a Roman military outpost by Julius Caesar. The monumental, amazingly well-preserved ancient city gate of Porta Palatina, together with the remains of a Roman theatre, attest to the importance of the site as early as the 1st century BC.

Next, hear about the remarkable achievements and priceless legacy of the protagonists of the flamboyant Baroque movement as you saunter through two of Turin’s most famous squares. Your guide will show you around Piazza Carignano, dominated by architect Guarino Guarini’s exquisite palazzo, and Piazza San Carlo, where you will make your acquaintance with Duke Emanuele Filiberto galloping triumphantly on horseback, surrounded by churches and sumptuous 17th century buildings.

Not to be missed are also the Liberty-style glass-vaulted arcade of Galleria Subalpina, lined with antique shops and historic coffee houses, and the imposing Mole Antonelliana, with its 167-metre-high spire looming over the city.