Although not necessarily the fulcrum of contemporary torinese life, piazza Castello is its most important square. The architectural imprints etched on this historic area trace the city’s political history through the reign of the House of Savoy and the founding of the Italian state. Set at the confluence of via Po, via Roma and via Pietro Micca, the square is enclosed by a fortress of baroque façades and colonnades such as the Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace), the Armeria Reale, Segreteria di Stato and Archivio di Stato. This was the so-called Zona di Comando, the command zone, of the Savoy dukes, a complex of galleries, passageways and interconnecting offices of power designed so that they would not have to expose themselves to the public. At the square’s centre is the Palazzo Madama, the castle from which the square takes its name and which now contains one of the city’s main art collections in the Museo Civico di Arte Antica. Behind the Palazzo Reale are the Giardini Reali, the royal gardens, while annexed to the palace is Turin’s cathedral whose beautiful chapel used to house the Turin Shroud. South of piazza Castello the elegance of designer Italy stretches down via Roma, the city’s catwalk and most dark blue address culminating in the arcaded and honey-coloured square of piazza San Carlo, once the hub of Turin’s fierce political and intellectual café life. SightsPiazza Castello Piazza Castello reflects perfectly the three architectural phases of central Turin’s development and expansion. The first plans were laid in 1587 by the architect Ascanio Vitozzi at the behest of the Savoy King, Carlo Emmanuele I. Vitozzi is thought responsible for the arcaded buildings that line the western side of the square. Architect Amedeo Castellamonte completed the square in the 17th century but it is the flourishes and eye for the grandiose of Filippo Juvarra (1678-1736) whose impact really endures to this day. As the political fulcrum of the city, it was known as ‘la culla del Risorgimento’ (the cradle of Italian Unity). No doubt due to the Savoys’ origins, proximity to France and also the prevailing trend of the time, there is something of the feel of a French chateau to the square and the atmosphere could easily be deemed more imperial Parisian than flamboyant Italian. Until only recently the square was in fact a more typically Italian swirl of cars and scooters and featured heavily in the famous traffic jam in the film, The Italian Job. It has since been partially pedestrianized and those parts given over to fountains and passeggiatas. Palazzo Madamapiazza Castello, T 011 4429931, http://www.comune.torino.it/ palazzomadama Tue-Fri and Sun 1000-2000, Sat 1000-2300. Mon closed. Entry to hall is free. An architectural cocktail of contrasting eras and styles the centrepiece to piazza Castello is a synthesis of the story of Turin. Although not visible from outside, the two front columns behind the façade are the remains of the Porta Praetoria, one of the gates in the walls of the Roman settlement of Giulia Augusta Taurinorum founded in 28 BC. In the 13th century the gate was transformed into a castle using the red-brick which characterizes the main body of the building. Later in the 13th century the city fell definitively under Savoy rule and in the 15th century a nobleman, Ludovico d’Acaia, transformed it from a fortress to a ducal palace. The name ‘Madama’ refers to two women (‘madama’ being piemontese for ‘lady’): firstly, Maria Cristina of France, the wife of Duke Vittorio Amedeo, and subsequently, Maria Giovanna Battista of Savoie-Nemours, the second wife of Duke Carlo Emmanuele II. While the red-brick mass is rather lumpy and ivy-ridden, the highlight of the Palazzo Madama is the baroque façade designed by Filippo Juvarra and built between 1718-21. The façade was part of a much more ambitious project that was never completed. Inside, Juvarra’s beautiful staircase sweeps up from the entrance to an upper hall, fit for a ballroom sequence from a Visconti film but instead desecrated by Michael Caine’s minis in The Italian Job. A tunnel used to link the Palazzo Madama to the Palazzo Reale but this was destroyed during the Franco-Spanish siege at the turn of the 19th century. Thereafter the castle served many functions: the royal art gallery, an astronomical observatory and importantly as the seat of the newly-formed Italian Senate from 1848-60 and the Italian Senate from 1861-64. Since 1934, the Turin city council has shared the building with the city’s large collection of antiquities and fine art, currently closed while the palace is under restoration. In front of the castle are three statues: the first, directly in front, dedicated to the ensign of the army of the King of Sardinia; the second, to the south, dedicated to the Italian cavalry, and the more easterly monument to Emanuele Filiberto, Duca d’Aosta. Museo Civico d’Arte Antica Palazzo Madama, piazza Castello, T 011 4429931. Currently closed for restoration. The museum is currently closed for restoration (due to re-open in 2006) and for now, it is only possible to admire Juvarra’s staircase and atrium. However, when it does open it will display an appetizing collection of paintings, sculptures, altarpieces and figurines by Piemontese masters as well as stained glass, ceramics, enamels, prints and drawings. There are a number of notable highlights: the Portrait of a Man by Antonello da Messina (1476), the Desana Horde of 47 Ostrogothic artefacts in gold and silver and the Heures de Milan book the Heures de Milan book (full title: Les tres riches heures du duc Berry) with illustrations by Jan van Eyck and his school. The museum is also famous for the decoration of its rooms by Domenico Guidobono in 18th century, in particular the depictions of the four seasons, his Chinese study and the museum’s northwest terrace. Palazzo Realepiazza Castello, piazzetta Reale, piazza Castello, T 011 436 1455, http://www.ambienteto.arti.beniculturali.it Tue-Sun 0900-1930. E 6.50, free with Torino Card. The Palazzo Reale, Turin’s Buckingham Palace, is the main focus of the piazza Castello and the architectural ledger par excellence of the city’s royal history. The palace occupies half the northern side of the piazza and is linked by interconnecting corridors and passages to the former royal state buildings to the right and to the cathedral and chapel to the left. There is an undoubtable touch of Paris about the grand entrance flanked by the two equestian statues of Castor and Pollux but the façade, with its squat towers at either end, is more reminiscent of a grand Italian country villa. Recently repainted and restored to its Savoy light blue-grey, the 107-m façade by Amedeo di Castellemonte is in fact the only original piece of the palace complex left, the rest being influenced and changed by subsequent centuries and architects. The idea of a royal palace formed part of Ascanio Vitozzi’s 1584 plan for the centre of Turin. Commissioned by Carlo Emanuele II, work began in 1646 on the site of the old bishop’s palace. The initial construction was completed in 14 years and was the home of the House of Savoy until 1865. The interior truly bears the stamp of royalty. It has a birthday cake of chandeliers and a sequence of rooms with heraldic names such as La Sala delle Vittorie and La Sala delle Dignita, furnished with Chinese vases, sculptures, paintings, frescos, gold leaf and coffered ceilings. They conserve and display the work of the great artists practising in Turin between the 17th and 19th centuries: Jan Miel, Daniel Seyter, Filippo Juvarra, Francesco Beaumont and Pelagio Palagi. It was Juvarra who contributed the masterpiece for which the Palazzo Reale is most famous – the amazing architectural feat of the Scala delle Forbici (Scissor Staircase), so-called due to its ornate criss-cross design. It was designed in anticipation of the arrival of the bride of Carlo Emanuele III, Anna Christina of Bavaria and heralds a sequence of glorious reception rooms and private apartments. Among these are the Galleria del Daniel, the ballroom named after the beautiful vaults painted by the Viennese artist, Daniel Seyter, and the Galleria Beaumont (which houses the Armeria Reale) refurbished in the 18th century under Benedetto Alfieri. Of the 40 rooms it is only possible to visit those on the first floor, including the private apartments of Carlo Alberto, Queen Maria Teresa and the magnificent main ballroom supported by 20 columns and with a capacity for over 200 guests. I Giardini Reali Winter 0800-1900, summer 0800-1600. Entry free although there are plans to charge in the immediate future. Accessed through the arcaded courtyard behind the Palazzo Reale, the Savoys’ royal gardens were landscaped very much in the French style by Andre Le Notre, also the designer of gardens at Versailles, between 1697-98. Enclosed within the fortifications of the palace complex, they feature grassy ramparts, multiple statues and a kaleid- oscope of flowerbeds. At the centre is a fountain with a mythological grouping by Simone Martinez from 1750. They are unmissable, particularly for those who are less interested in interior design. Armeria Reale piazza Castello 191, T 011 543889, http://www.artito.beniculturali.it Tue, Thu, Sat, Sun 1330-1930, Wed, Fri 0830-1400. Closed Mon. E 4. Part of the palace complex on the north side of piazza Castello to the right of Palazzo Reale. The former armoury of the Savoy kings forms part of the impressive palace complex. The armoury was transformed into a public museum by Carlo Alberto in 1837 having commissioned Vittorio Seyssel d’Aix to collect and catalogue arms from the arsenals of Turin and Genoa. The collection subsequently expanded in the 19th century through acquisition and now represents one of the most important collections of arms in Europe. The contents of the armoury is one thing, but its setting is quite another. The three rooms on the first floor at the top of the grand staircase by Benedetto Alfieri are spectacular, richly furnished with sculptures and stucco work. La Sala della Rotonda, a former ballroom, was designed by Pelagio Palagi while the Galleria Beaumont was desgined by Juvarra and finished by Alfieri. Francesco Beaumont painted the beautiful depictions of Stories of Aeneas in the vaults. Showcased in these rooms are arms from the Italian and German schools of the 15th and 16th centuries, including the cavalry arms of Emanuele Filiberto and Ascanio Maria Sforza from the end of 15th century. The collection features daggers, stilettos (a type of Italian dagger), spears, swords and firearms of all shapes and sizes, including a number of Napoleonic swords and arms from the Garibaldi era. Thematically, the museum covers the story of weaponry from prehistory to the First World War, also taking in arms from Turkey, the Caucasus, Persia and the Far East. La Biblioteca Reale piazza Castello, T 011 543855 Only open for temporary exhibitions. On the ground floor of the same wing of the palace as the Armeria Reale is Turin’s royal library, located in a large rectangular hall designed by Pelagio Palagi. Founded by Carlo Alberto in 1831, the library is an impressive collection of some 200,000 volumes, including rare manuscripts, bookbindings and drawings. By far the most important piece of the collection, if not one of the great and little-known treasures of Turin, is the bearded self-portrait by Leonardo Da Vinci. It is sadly not on constant display but both this and his Code on the Flight of Birds (1505)are always available to be viewed on request. L’Archivio di Stato piazza Castello, T 011 540382 astoarchivio@multix.it Only open for temporary exhibitions. Running across the northeastern side of piazza Castello, Turin’s state archives occupy a building that incorporates the remains of the old Teatro Regio. Recently beautifully restored, it was designed by Filippo Juvarra and built between 1731-34. Inside are over 13 centuries of documentation of life and death in Turin. Even if you’re not into medieval history, it’s still worth a look for Juvarra’s interior decoration. Teatro Regio piazza Castello 215, T 011 8815241. Tue-Fri 1030-1800, Sat 1030-1600, Mon closed. For tickets and information contact http://www.teatroregio.torino.it Set under the classical arcades on the northeastern side, Turin’s new royal theatre presents a contemporary façade of glass and metal. The old theatre, built in 1740 and designed by Benedetto Alfieri, was destroyed by fire in 1936. The new one, built to designs by Carlo Mollino and Marcello Zavelani Rossi, was inaugurated in 1973 and plays host to a calendar of prestigious operas and concerts. The Teatro Regio also houses a precious archive of musical documentation and witnessed the premieres of Manon Lescaut in 1893 and La Bohème, both by Puccini, in 1896. Chiesa di San Lorenzo piazzetta Reale, piazza Castello, T 011 4361527. 0800-1200, 1500-1900. At the entrance to the piazzetta Reale in the northwest corner of piazza Castello. The outwardly simple church of San Lorenzo contains many rich artistic details. The church was built on the site of an old church, Santa Maria del Presepe, to fulfil a vow made by Emanuele Filiberto on the eve of the Battle of San Quintino on 10 August 1557. The church has an octagonal plan modelled on the Greek cross topped by a famous and ingenious baroque dome by Guarini composed of interwoven arches. Belied by its simple exterior, which is generally believed to be unfinished, the inside of San Lorenzo is a feast of the baroque with colours and detail sparkling from sculptures, paintings, stucco work, coloured marble and gilding. Of the many altars the most spectacular is the high altar by Guarini himself which is adorned with a bas-relief by Carlo Antonio Tantardini depicting Duke Emanuele’s vow. The pulpit is a beautiful piece of carving as are the stalls with inlaid panels and the organ has an unusually decorative loft. The current aspect of the church and its interior was not finally reached until 1880. Palazzo Chiablese piazza San Giovanni 2. Closed to the public except for special events. The Chiablese palace forms the left side of the piazzetta Reale, the forecourt to the main Royal Palace. Inside it is connected to the apartments of the Royal Palace and it was here that Benedetto Maurizio, Duca del Chiablese, son of Carlo Emanuele III and Elisabetta di Lorena, resided (hence the building’s name). It is also where the first Queen of Italy, Regina Margherita, was born. Until 1995 it housed the city’s cinema collection and is now home to the Sorprintendenza per I Beni Ambientali e Architettonici e Archeologici, a state cultural institute charged with the upkeep of Turin’s architectural, environmental and archaeological treasures. Duomo di San Giovanni Battista piazza San Giovanni, T 011 4361540. 0800-1200, 1500-1900.The façade of Turin’s cathedral to her patron saint, St John the Baptist, is the only remnant of Renaissance architecture in the city. The cathedral was built between 1491-98 by order of Cardinal Domenico della Rovere on the site of three 14th- century basilicas. The cathedral was designed by the Tuscan architect, Meo del Caprino, and has a classical white marble façade crowned with a typanum and three portals with carved reliefs also by Caprino. The fine wooden doors were carved in 1714-15 by Carlo Maria Ugliengo. The cathedral’s 60 m Romanesque bell tower soars above the campanile di Sant’Andrea, originally built in 1468 and re-erected by Juvarra in 1720, and Guarini’s famous octagonal cupola to the Cappella della Santa Sindone (see below). It is a symbol of the city which, until a fire in 1997, housed the city’s most famed asset, the other thing most people associate with Turin beyond Fiat and the superstar footballers of Juventus: the famous Shroud. The cathedral is laid out on a Latin cross plan with three aisles flanked by decorative side chapels featuring frescoes, statues, polyptychs and paintings by masters of the Piemontese school from the 15th to the 17th centuries. A copy of the Shroud is on display on the left by the entrance and the cathedral isn’t as full of tourists as you might expect. It is pretty authentic to the lay eye and, consequently if a little cynically, rather dull: it is, after all, just a very old piece of linen with some quite indistinct markings on it. Cappella della Santa Sindone Currently closed for restoration. Accessed via the two black marble staircases on either side of the cathedral’s presbytery the Cappella della Santa Sindone was from 1694-1997 home of the much-debated Turin Shroud. The chapel, with its famous cupola, is the work of the Modenese abbot-architect Guarino Guarini, commissioned by Carlo Emanuele II, who wanted to build a suitable resting place for the Shroud for its arrival from Chambery in France. The chapel is round and furnished with marble of different shades of black, white and grey, studded with bronze stars. At the centre is the altar where the silver box containing the Shroud was once located. Above, the interior of the cupola, composed of overlapping layers like a matchstick house, is designed to spiral infinitely upwards as if to heaven. In all there are 36 arches leading up to a 12-pointed star with a dove at the centre. The whole interior of the chapel is full of symbolic figures and geometric patterns hinting at the absolute harmony of the universe: the three of the Trinity, nine to symbolize the hour of Christ’s death and 12, the number of the apostles. Enhanced by the play of chiaroscuro – light and dark– through the windows in the cupola’s ceiling, white funerary monuments to the Savoy kings stand out against the dark marble. The chapel was ravished by a fire in April 1997 and many precious elements of the interior were damaged or destroyed. For this reason the chapel is still under restoration and therefore inaccessible to the public. Miraculously, and adding to its own mythology, the Holy Shroud was saved by its silver box and retrieved intact by Turin’s firemen. The Shroud is now fiercely guarded in the left-hand transept of the cathedral and only makes the most occasional of appearances, most lately during the Millennium Jubilee celebrations. Via Roma While not the city’s most elegant or atmospheric, via Roma is Turin’s most fashionable street, a glistening, arcaded Champs-Elysées of boutiques, commercial centres, banks, cinemas and bars. The top half of the road, down to piazza San Carlo, was the main artery of Turin’s early 17th-century urban expansion when it was called the contrada nuova. Although outwardly original and baroque in style, this section was actually rebuilt as such in 1931. The southern half of via Roma, designed by Marcello Piacentini and built between 1933-37, is visibly more modern and resonant of the fascist architecture of the Mussolini era. Piazzetta CLN Between piazza San Carlo and piazza Carlo Felice is this small piazzetta to the Comitato di Liberazione Nazionale, built in 1933. There are two decorative fountains behind the twin churches, adorned with statues depicting the rivers Po and the Dora. In via Teofilo Rossi nearby, is the imposing 17th- century Palazzo Bricherasio, home to the Fondazione Palazzo Bricherasio, T 011 5711811, http://www.palazzobricherasio.it, Mon 1430-1930, Tue, Wed, Sun 0930-1930, Sat 0930-2230, E 6.20, guided visits on request, which hosts high-profile contemporary art exhibitions. It was also famously the place where the deed of the first Fiat factory was signed in 1898. Piazza San Carlo Without doubt the most beautiful of all Turin’s piazzas, San Carlo stands at the mid-point of via Roma, a focus of retail, cultural and café life. Superbly harmonious and symmetrical, the rectangular square, with the elegant porticoed yellow and white façades of baroque noble houses, was designed by Carlo di Castellamonte to be the salon of the city’s intellectual life and was completed in 1638. At the centre stands the fine bronze equestrian monument (known as il Caval de Brons – the bronze horseman) to Emanuele Filiberto, putting away his sword after the victorious battle of San Quintino, an 1838 work by Carlo Marochetti. On the southern end of the piazza stand the churches of San Carlo, T 011 5620922, 0800-1200, 1500-1900, dedicated to Saint Charles Boromeo by Carlo Emanuele I, and Santa Cristina, T 011539281, 0800-1200, 1500-1900, both from 17th century, the latter designed Carlo di Castellamonte with a façade by Filippo Juvarra. At number 183 is the Palazzo Isnardi di Caraglio, home to the city’s Accademia Filarmonica since 1839. Partially rebuilt by Benedetto Alfieri, this palazzo (only open for temporary exhibitions) contains magnificent 18th-century-style rooms. Piazza San Carlo was always the hub of Turin’s café society and underneath its porticos are some of the city’s most historic cafés still with their original furnishings. At night the piazza pulses with life, as the local well-dressed youth pose on their vespas and in their Fiat Puntos.
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