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Cities Information
TURIN
| Region |
Piedmont |
| Capital |
Turin |
| Total Population |
2,122,704 |
| Males |
1,023,748 |
| Females |
1,098,956 |
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Old Capital of Italy
Turin
(Torino) is the capital of Italy's Piemonte (Piedmont)
region, in the far north-west of the country, and is
famous for a curious assortment of things: including Fiat,
chocolate, football and the Turin Shroud. Close to the
Alps, Turin makes a good starting-point for skiing
holidays; it also deserves a few days to itself as tourist
destination.
Turin does not have the political importance it once held
before the parliament of a united Italy moved to Rome, but
the city is a major industrial centre (most famous for car
manufacturer Fiat) and the attractive Baroque town centre
is cosmopolitan and gracious. The city is full of noble
equestrian statues of Savoy princes and elegant arcaded
streets for all-weather shopping and strolling, with an
atmosphere that is calmer than most Italian cities. The
car parking, though, is notable even by Italian standards:
drivers make a habit of abandoning their cars in the
middle of streets and junctions. Pedestrians should be
aware of the many streets which pass through the arcades:
you can be strolling along under a portico window shopping
when a car cuts across your path.
 Turin's
tourist attractions include the Mole Antonelliana,
a strange, spire-topped building which features on the
Italian 2 euro-cent coin. A good museum of cinema is
housed in the building. Other Turin museums include the
excellent Egyptian Museum.
Piazza Castello is the heart of tourist Turin, home
to grand palaces such as Palazzo Reale, the royal
palace of the Savoy dynasty, and Palazzo Madama,
previously a castle, prison, barracks and senate house.
Around the Piazza - and indeed throughout Turin - you will
find elegant historic cafes; an important part of Turin
life.
Turin is home to two major football clubs: Juventus and
Torino. Juventus are one of the most successful and
powerful clubs in Italy with a large fanbase through Italy
and beyond, while Torino are the team of choice for many
locals. Both teams play at the Stadio delle Alpi, a
panoramically-situated stadium on the edge of town, with
special bus connections on match days.
Turin is the base for the 2006 Winter Olympics, which will
take place in the many skiing resorts within easy reach of
the city.
Turin is also renowned as the setting for the original
film of The Italian Job, starring Michael Caine, and fans
can enjoy themselves spotting locations from the film.
Turin airport (also called Caselle) is located 16km from
Turin. It is an international airport, served by budget
Ryanair flights from the UK. Buses (approximately
half-hourly) connect the airport with Turin's bus station
and the Porta Nuova railway station. Tickets cost ˆ5 from
news-stands (or ˆ5.50 on board) and the journey takes 40
minutes There is also a train service every half hour,
running to Turin's Stazione Dora.
If you
plan on visiting several Turin tourist attractions, you
should consider investing in the Torino Card, a good-value
ticket giving you free entry to over 120 museums and
attractions in the Turin and Piedmont area. Visitors are
likely to be amazed at the range of museums and activities
on offer, from boat trips to underground tunnels.
Also included in the Torino Card are the seasonal tourist
bus and boat services., which make an interesting and
convenient way to travel around the city.
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Museums