Turin via Rome
Turin
Boasting two of the nation’s most followed football teams, Turin offers a more peaceful scene than its other Italian counterparts.
While far lesser-known than other Italian cities like
Rome or
Milan, Turin is a highly rewarding destination, providing travellers with more than their dose of art, culture, good food, and relaxation.
In keeping with the rest of the country’s fixation on all things football, Turin boasts two football teams:
Juventus FC and
Torino FC. Locals support these teams with a religious fervour, and if you’re in town when Juve‘s squaring off against one of its rivals, grab a ticket if you can and join in the Milan-bashing.
Home to Italy’s royal family, the House of Savoy, Turin has been blessed with a Baroque architectural and artistic legacy that makes it the envy of Europe. Piazza Castello is the centre of Turin and features the former Savoy Royal House Palazzo Reale, Palazzo Madama - a fascinating palace mixing medieval and Baroque architecture, the rebuilt Teatro Regio, and Biblioteca Reale where visitors can admire Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous self-portrait.
Duomo di San Giovanni is famous for, amongst other reasons, the controversial Shroud of Turin, which is kept in a vault below the church. The shroud is only displayed by Papal decree, so you’ll have to check the site to see when it’s scheduled to be displayed.
A favourite museum for those interested in more recent history is the
Museo Nazionale del Cinema.
Fly to Turin for a fascinating tour through the history of this art form, starting at the very beginning, when lanterns were used to project crude images, to more modern artefacts such as props, promotional items, costumes, and more.