Province TO
Torino, TO
The regional capital and Italy's first post-unification capital, a grid of arcaded streets and baroque squares with a heavy industrial layer from Fiat. Two of its collections carry real international weight, Egyptian antiquities and cinema. It is also where Italian vermouth and gianduja chocolate come from.
Sights
- Museo Egizio, one of the largest collections of Egyptian antiquities outside Egypt
- Mole Antonelliana, the 167 metre Antonelli tower, now the national cinema museum
- Palazzo Reale, the 17th-century Savoy palace on Piazza Castello, part of the UNESCO Savoy Residences
- Duomo di San Giovanni Battista, the cathedral that holds the Shroud of Turin, which is rarely on display
- Piazza San Carlo, a 17th-century square of arcades and historic cafes
- Basilica di Superga, the hilltop church built after the siege of 1706 and the Savoy burial place
Things to do
- Drink a bicerin, the layered coffee, chocolate and cream of the old cafes
- Take the evening aperitivo with a local vermouth, both are Turin institutions
- Go up to Superga for the view across the city to the Alps
- Give the Museo Egizio at least half a day
Annual events
May
Salone Internazionale del Libro
Italy's main book fair, at Lingotto.
July
Kappa FuturFestival
Three days of electronic music in Parco Dora.
September
MITO SettembreMusica
Classical and contemporary music, shared with Milan.
October to November
Artissima
Contemporary art fair at the Lingotto Oval.
November to December
Torino Film Festival
The city's film festival, late November into December.
October to January
Luci d'Artista
Commissioned light installations through the streets and squares.
When to visit
Late September to November: the main cultural season, with the light installations from late October.
