TORINO
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Turin is a city of Roman origin and important vestiges of its past are preserved, including the orthogonal urban plan, cantered on the Cardo (the primary north-south oriented street) and the Decumano (the primary east-west oriented street). Due to its geographical position, Rome was easy prey to invasions by barbarians, such as the Lombards and the Franks. The Savoy family made their appearance in the 10th century and eventually established their rule in 1418.
Under the Savoy House, Torino became one of the main centres and crossroads of western Italy. This development involved major urban transformations in the city, which flourished between the end of the seventeenth and the eighteenth centuries, with the great civil and religious Baroque buildings, stately arcades and iconic squares that gave Torino the somewhat French, elegant, yet sober beauty for which it is admired.
In 1802, Torino was annexed to French empire, and in 1815, The Congress of Vienna returned Torino to the Savoy rulers. In 1848, King Charles Albert promulgated the Albertine Statute, which later became the Constitution of the Kingdom of Italy. In 1849, Victor Emmanuel II ascended the throne, and his prime minister Camillo Benso di Cavour made a fundamental contribution to the unification of Italy, which was achieved in 1861, and Torino was its first capital, until 1864.
In 1884 Torino was the venue of the Universal Exposition, which prompted the reorganisation of the Valentino Park and the construction of the medieval Hamlet. In those years FIAT was born, which made Torino Italy’s industrial capital throughout the 1900s. Torino is where the first film studios also opened in Italy, and cinema continues to be at the heart of the cultural and artistic life of the city.
ALBERTINE STATUTE
The “Statute of the Kingdom” or the “Fundamental Statute of the Monarchy of Savoy” of 4 March 1848 (known as Statuto Albertino, from the name of the king who promulgated it, Charles Albert of Savoy), was the constitutional statute adopted by the Kingdom of Sardinia on 4 March 1848 in Torino. In the preamble signed by Charles Albert himself, it is defined as the «perpetual and irrevocable fundamental law of the Savoy Monarchy».
On 17 March 1861, with the founding of the Kingdom of Italy, it became the fundamental charter of the new united Italy and formally remained so, albeit with changes, until the Republican Constitution came into force on 1 January 1948.
MAGICAL TURIN
As legend has it, Turin is one of the vertices of the two magical triangles: the triangle of white magic, composed of Turin, Prague and Lyon, and that of black magic, with London and San Francisco. This is the reason why some monuments and places included in the tourist itineraries in the city are rich in references and symbols related to this mysterious art.
GIANDUIA CREAM AND GIANDUIOTTO CHOCOLATE
Torino, alongside Perugia, is known as a capital city of chocolate. It is the birthplace of Gianduia cream, and it is where the famous Gianduiotto chocolate was invented by the Caffarel workshop, which launched it on the occasion of the Carnival, giving it the name of the traditional Turin mask.
In 1806, when Napoleon banned all products from Great Britain and its colonies, Turin chocolatiers had to find a solution to “dilute” the cacao, increasingly difficult to find, and they chose the delicate round hazelnut from the Langhe, now an IGP product (protected geographical indication).
Another variation of Gianduiotto is the Cremino, invented by the Baratti & Milano workshop.
BICERIN
Served in a small glass called “Bicerin”, it is a typical drink of Turin, made of coffee, chocolate, milk and sugar syrup. It was invented in the historic bar by the same name, Al Bicerin, still in operation at its historical place and with the original furnishings. The invention of the bicerin was, without any doubt, the basis of the success of the café and, more than an invention, it was the evolution of the eighteenth-century bavareisa, a very fashionable drink at the time, which was served in large glasses and was made of coffee, chocolate, milk and syrup.
Torino is also one of the Italian cities that holds the highest number of records:
THE LARGEST ROMAN GATE IN THE WORLD
Porta Palatina is the largest Roman gate still existing in the world.
THE LARGEST MARKET IN EUROPE
Just behind Porta Palatina, a two minutes walk from the flat in Via Conte Verde, is the Porta Palazzo market, the largest open-air market in Europe for food products, both outdoors and indoors. Next to the ancient covered general markets, today we find a structure, the Mercato Centrale (also present in Rome, Milan and Florence), designed by Fuksas and inaugurated in 2019.
THE FIRST CAPITAL
Torino was the first capital of Italy from 1861 to 1865.
THE ARCADES (COVERED WALKWAYS)
Torino is the city with the largest arcaded pedestrian area in Europe, 18 kilometres long. Piazza Vittorio Veneto is the largest arcaded square in Europe.
THE GREENEST CITY IN ITALY
In the latest ranking published by Treepedia, a website developed by the MIT Senseable City Lab to calculate the Green View Index in cities, Torino is the only Italian city present, in the 13th place in the world rankings.
16% of the surface of the city is occupied by green areas, with about 160000 trees, 320 km of tree-lined avenues, 39 monumental trees, including the so-called “Grandfather of Torino”, the oldest tree in the city, in the garden of the Villa of the Treasury.
THE FIRST ITALIAN SOCCER TEAM
It was in the Savoy city, in 1887, that the first Italian soccer team – Torino Football & Cricket Club – was formed.
CINEMA
The first film screening in Italy took place in Torino in 1896.
Piemonte food and wine represent one of the real Italian excellences of the highest level. Here is what you absolutely cannot miss:
Here are some restaurants where you can delight in tasting typical dishes and in general enjoy good food, a stone’s throw from home:
Piedmont is also famous for its pastries and some typical drinks such as bicerin and vermouth, and, needless to say, for its world renowned wines. This is our selection:
Torino is a city with an extraordinary historical and artistic heritage, with its numerous monuments and over 40 museums. Nevertheless, Torino is also a pleasant city where you can relax while strolling around, with endless arcades stretching over almost the entire city centre, elegant architecture, wide expanses, a rich green heritage of parks and gardens (no. 18 in the world ranking).
It is impossible to describe all the city has to offer; however, here are some of the must-dos:
With the end of the industrial era, of which Turin was a protagonist in the post-war period, the city has rediscovered its historical and artistic heritage and its calling as a cultural capital. The event that marked the turning point was the 2006 Olympic Winter Games, which drove Torino to enhance its great and refined hidden treasures and to garnish them with highly topical events and initiatives.
From the International Book Fair, traditionally held in May, well-known national gastronomic events such as Cioccolatò in October, cultural programs of the highest international quality, such as the MITO classical music festival, which Milan and Torino will stage in collaboration in September, new events attributed to the city, such as the ATP Tennis finals to be held in Turin in November until 2024, to the Eurovision 2022 kermesse, every year the calendar is full of proposals and surprises.
The flat is located on the main floor (above the arcades) of the only residential wing of Palazzo di Città, the seat of Turin’s municipal government, dating back to 1663.
The project was commissioned to architect Francesco Lanfranchi in 1663 and, during the course of the following century, the building was extensively remodelled by Benedetto Alfieri.
The residential wing in Via Garibaldi still overlooks Piazza Palazzo di Città and Via Conte Verde.
Via Conte Verde takes its name from Duke Amedeo VI of Savoy (14th century), founder of the highest title of honour bestowed by the Savoy dynasty, the Ordine Supremo della Santissima Annunziata, one of the oldest and most prestigious titles in the world. A shrewd and enterprising young man, Amedeo VI participated in numerous tournaments in his youth, in which he used to show off green clothes, harnesses and banners, so much so that he was nicknamed “Il Conte Verde” (The Green Count).
At the beginning of the second century BC, the Romans founded a small colony, a military garrison, a few years before the founding of Augusta Taurinorum. This explains the double toponym Carrea Potentia, handed down to us by Pliny the Elder. While Potentia, in fact, is the name attributed by the ancient Romans, Carrea is an ancient Ligurian word, deriving from the Celtic Carro, to be traced back to the ancient Gallic chuari, or chuairt, to indicate a defensive fortress or stone walls.
Numerous archaeological finds have been unearthed on different occasions from the seventeenth century up the present day.
The town of Chieri acquired great importance during the Middle Ages, when the main religious buildings of the town were constructed, not least because the city rose along one of the branches of Via Francigena, a pilgrimage route that is a favourite with today’s walkers.
After centuries as an independent Commune, in the 15th century, the city came under the rule of the dukes of Savoy and experienced a period of prosperity as a rich community of “bourgeois” artisans and bankers, while textile crafts flourished. The town flourished from the 15th to the 20th century, so much so that the University of Fustian was founded in Chieri.
Major companies, such as Martini & Rossi and the Vergnano coffee house were founded and still have their headquarters in Chieri, while the textile industry continues to flourish and produce fine fabrics.
Jeans
It is said that the name “jeans” derives from the art of fustian, a very sturdy blue cotton, for which Chieri was famous in the fifteenth century. At the time, the fabric was sent to America from Genoa, the famous “bleu de Gênes” or blue of Genoa.
But that blue colour was “of Genoa” in name only, because it was obtained thanks to the blue pigment extracted from a plant, called woad. Its colouring properties were known since ancient times. The Latin name of woad is Isatis tinctoria, a term that leaves no doubt about its use. With this plant, very common in the Chieri area, the medieval merchants of fabric dyestuffs were able to accumulate fabulous fortunes. Its pigments make it possible to obtain a full range of blue hues, from the darkest to the lightest shade, sky blue.
Rubatà breadsticks
The Rubatà breadstick is the only and authentic breadstick born in Chieri in the 17th century.
The name derives from Piedmontese dialect, and means “fallen”, after the technique with which breadsticks are made. The Rubatà breadstick (in Piedmontese, literally, “tumbled”) is obtained by rolling, and manually pressing down on the work table, pieces of dough from 40 to 80 cm long. It is easily recognizable because of its knotty appearance, due to its being processed by hand.
In fact, the term Rubatà derives from robat, an agricultural tool of the past, equipped with a large wooden cylinder that was pulled over tilled soil and levelled it by compression.
Traditionally kneaded by hand, with the addition of lard or oil and lard, it is cooked in a wood-fired oven. Many recipes have been handed down from father to son and it is in the dough that the secret of the preparation lies: the proportions of the various ingredients and the quality of the water of Chieri and surrounding areas, which gives the rubatà its unique flavour.
Chieri rubatà is included in the list of traditional Italian foods drawn up by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry. It is not to be confused with another protected breadstick, the Grissino Stirato (The Ironed Breadstick). The production area is the entire Chieri area (from Chieri to Poirino and from Chieri to Andezeno).
Freisa
A grape vine native to the Chieri area, protected by the relative DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin), Freisa gives rise to a red wine produced in a variety of versions – dry, superior, sparkling, sweet and spumante –, with a low alcohol content and eminently suitable to be paired with local gastronomic products.
HISTORICAL FIGURES
San Giovanni Bosco
Born in Castelnuovo, a few kilometres from Chieri, Giovanni lived in Chieri during the years of his cultural education (1831-1841) and his religious development, years marked by economic difficulties that forced the young man to combine his study with small jobs.
Religious tourism is practiced in Chieri in the form of a journey touching on the places where Don Bosco lived and worked.
Cesare Balbo
A prominent political figure (Chieri 1762 – Turin 1837), Cesare Balbo reorganized the finances of the city of Torino and was one of the founders of the Academy of Sciences. Ambassador to Paris in 1796, exiled, after Marengo, in Bologna and Florence, he returned to his homeland in 1806 and accepted the position of rector of the University of Torino offered to him by Napoleon. He founded the Turin Savings Bank (1827) and promoted the establishment of the Census and Loan Fund (1795) for the repayment of public debt.
The Piedmontese gastronomic offer is one of the main attractions of the region. The traditional dishes of Chieri include:
Here are some restaurants where you can enjoy the traditional recipes and in general good cuisine, in Chieri and surroundings.
Chieri is a very ancient city, with an extraordinary historical and artistic heritage, despite being little known. In the 15th century, it was known as the town of a hundred towers, due to the numerous towers erected by powerful local families, unfortunately only a few of these towers survive. The must-sees in Chieri include:
We list a few of them, starting with the oldest, for a nice walk as they are visible only from the outside, except for the Jewish ghetto whose courtyard can be visited and Palazzo Balbiano, whose entrance hall and monumental staircase are accessible.
Other landmarks you can visit nearby are: the Basilica of Superga, the Cavour Castle and gardens in Santena, the Rivoli Castle, the Stupinigi hunting lodge and the Don Bosco Sanctuary in Castelnuovo Don Bosco.
In Chieri you can also visit many interesting museums:
FROM FREISA TO FREISA
On the second weekend of September, the food and wine fair takes place in Chieri with Freisa, a typical wine of the hills of Chieri, playing the star role
The La Casa nel Vicolo was obtained from a structure that was used as a warehouse in the courtyard of a manor house dating back to the end of the 17th century. The access doors are low because of its original use.
The house is located in Vicolo dell’Imbuto, in the district of San Giorgio, the oldest part of Chieri.
Until the beginning of the twentieth century, no addresses were attributed to the streets, which are identified by area toponyms. The neighbourhood was called San Giorgio, in reference to the nearby church, one of the oldest in the town. The current toponym was attributed only around the 1930s.
From the tales of the elderly – the historical memory still very much alive in the town – we learn that there used to be a distillery in the alley and, during the First World War, prisoners detained a short distance away, in Palazzo Opesso, were brought in to produce and bottle the grappa. Hence the name of “Imbuto” (Funnel).
The story says that one day a lady who lived in the alley gave the prisoners some loaves of bread. The prisoners, astonished, asked her why she did that. She replied that her son had been taken prisoner somewhere and she hoped that some good person would do the same for him.
The Langhe is the south-western region of Piedmont universally known for its hills covered with vineyards as far as the eye can see.
The rugged terrain of these hills, subject to erosion, now offers a spectacular panorama of hamlets perched on top of the “bricchi” (peaks of the hills).
The name Langa precisely identifies the geological system of elevations unfolding along three long ridges, from which came the name “Lang” – i.e., long – indicating the long route formed by the succession of ridges.
Even today the expression “going through the Langa” indicates this long pathway from hill to hill, along ridges, peaks and castles, between the high Langa on the hills and the low Langa in the valleys.
For the same reason most inhabited centres rise on hill tops: this fact contributes to making the view of the Langhe more spectacular, dotted with castles, towers, villages, chapels as shelters for pilgrims.
The harshness of the place has also made the construction of a modern road network complicated. The roads built in Roman and medieval times are still in use, offering the engaging experience of a slow journey through space and time.
You can follow the traces of the past, from the Roman and medieval periods, to the times of the Duchy of Savoy and, during World War II, the years of the resistance movement in which the people of the Langhe played a major role, as described by many writers. Since the early 1900s, the region has become a place of gastronomic, landscape and cultural excellence, so much so that it has been classified as one of the treasures on the UNESCO’s list of “World Heritage Sites”.
Monforte d’Alba, known as Mons Fortis until 1862, is one of the Piedmont’s preserved medieval Piedmontese complexes, whose original plan is still visible today.
The ancient hamlet unfolds along narrow paved alleys climbing up to the top of the hill, in the Saracca area, a name that probably refers to the term “saracinesca” (rolling shutter), which made it possible for the gate to the village to be closed at night.
The Saracca was, and still is, the central square of the medieval hamlet. Going further up and following the wired music, you reach the square where today the bell tower, garrison of the walls, and the oratory of Sant’Agostino stand. The Palace of the Marquises Scarampi of Cairo borders the square and, since 1986, it has housed a terraced amphitheatre, which today serves as an open-air auditorium with about 800 seats and has become the venue for major cultural events and theatrical representations.
Linked to the pre-existing castle is the massacre of a group of Monfortian people – presumed to be Cathars – which occurred in 1028, when the archbishop of Milan, to put an end to the resistance of this group of heretics, ordered them slaughtered and burned at the stake (remembered today by Corso Monforte in Milan).
It is believed that the current Palazzo d’Assi, a veritable medieval tower, which over the centuries became the seat of the administration of justice in the hamlet, was the stronghold of the Cathars. Today going up and down the picturesque streets, immersed in silence, is for the visitors an authentic dip into history.
Listed below are some of the restaurants in the heart of Monforte that offer traditional dishes and fine cuisine in general:
In the new hamlet of Monforte you will also find other simpler but equally excellent trattorie. In Castiglione Falletto we recommend the Terrazza da Renza, a trattoria café much loved by the natives, simple but genuine, affording a breath-taking view from the terrace in summer.
Listed as one of the most beautiful hamlets in Italy, Monforte is in itself an open-air must-see.
Starting from Palazzo d’Assi, a medieval tower dating back to around the year 1000 and a stronghold of the Cathars, our advice is to walk through the medieval alleys and to proceed uphill, to reach, in this order: the small square of Saracca, the Horszowsky Auditorium with the bell tower, the oratory of Saint Augustine, and the Scarampi palace. On the way down, you will come across the Bottari Lattes foundation, small wineries and taverns, until you reach Piazza Garibaldi and the new hamlet.
Then we recommend that you visit the hamlet of Perno, which you can reach by car or by renting an e-bike, and book a visit to the Perno Castle. The castle, of whose original medieval structure only the walls remain, is a beautiful eighteenth-century villa, which was purchased by publisher Giulio Einaudi and hence became a place of retreat used by important twentieth century writers, including Primo Levi and Cesare Pavese.
Today, having been purchased by private individuals, the castle can be partially visited, and includes a winery. You can book a visit with wine tasting in the privileged setting of Luigi Einaudi’s private library.
It is impossible to describe everything there is to see and visit in the Langhe. Here are some of the must-dos not to be missed:
Do not miss the themed itineraries available in the Langhe. There are routes that you can tailor to your own needs, or select with the aid of the Tourist Office.
Itinerary of the castles
1. Royal Castle of Govone
2. Magliano Alfieri Castle
3. Castle of Monticello D’Alba
4. Roddi Castle
5. Castle of Grinzane Cavour
6. Serralunga D’Alba Castle
7. Falletti Castle of Barolo – WiMu
8. Fossano Castle.
Itineraries on foot or by bicycle (also e-bike)
1. Monforte
2. Monchiero
3. La Morra
4. Fossano
In this itinerary, you can stop along the way to admire Chris Bangle’s Big Benches installed in the surroundings.
Wine bars
Of course, a visit to at least some of the wineries in Monforte is a must. The town is one of the 11 municipalities of Barolo DOC and home to some of the most famous wine makers in the world, as well as smaller wine producing concerns of great excellence.
PLACES TO VISIT a little farther away
A car is recommended to reach Monforte.
The closest airport is Cuneo Levaldigi.
The closest railway station is that of Alba.
The tourist office in Monforte offers many services (transportation, rentals) and activities based on local resources (itineraries, visits, tastings, courses)
Find out about all the services on www.monfortetourism.it
MONFORTINJAZZ
An important international jazz music festival which takes place in July.
GRINZANE LATTES LITERARY AWARD (FORMER GRINZANE CAVOUR)
https://fondazionebottarilattes.it/premio-lattes-grinzane
One of Italy’s most important literary awards, in October.
INTERNATIONAL TRUFFLE FAIR OF ALBA
https://www.fieradeltartufo.org/
In October and November, one of the main white truffle events on the international scene.
CHEESE
Slowfood Presidium Cheese Fair, in Bra in September.
COLLISIONI FESTIVAL
http://www.collisioni.it/it/homepage
Music and literature festival, July, Alba and surrounding areas.
Palazzo d’Assi, a medieval tower dating back to around the year 1000, probably a stronghold of the Cathars in the Middle Ages and then a place of administration of justice in the town of Monforte d’Alba, which remained such from the end of the 18th century to the end of the 1920s.
In 1928, it was abandoned and only recently began to be remodelled: an important restoration project undertaken by the owner, Thomas Rückle, under the supervision of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and with the involvement of various artists, architects and local firms, refurbished it and transformed it into a residence for tourists.
Being a structure inherited from the past, the building is characterized by a series of windows and French windows differing from one another others, in shape and size, as a function of the floor. At one time, for example, the complex, now restored to its original height, was characterized by a series of arched openings on the top floor which delimited the level formerly used as a covered public square, which today houses the panoramic flat La Piazza d’Assi.
Next to the entrance, still flanked by an imposing iron gate, there are two niches traditionally used as bulletin boards. Three Gothic arches now closed but clearly visible on the facade reveal what the original structure must have been like.
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