Turin was once the capital of the Savoy kingdom (and later of Italy itself), so its beautiful royal palaces and piazzas make it a very appealing city. Walking around Turin reminded me of Bologna, but on a grander scale, while the incredible food and drink were on a par with Bologna’s fabulous cuisine. Here are eight highlights of my trip to the gorgeous capital of Italy’s Piedmont region.
1. Exploring Turin’s stunning palaces
Our apartment was in the Corte d’Appello Rooms, a great location that is just a five-minute walk from Turin’s central square, Piazza Castello. This huge piazza has the stunning Palazzo Reale on one side, while the imposing Palazzo Madame is in the centre. Also in the square is a Tourist Office where you can buy the Torino+Piemonte Card. It’s available for varying lengths of time and is well worth doing if you plan to visit a number of the city’s attractions.
Palazzo Reale, the Royal Palace, is at the heart of the Musei Reali di Torino complex. It was initially home to the kings of Sardinia and then to Vittorio Emanuele II, the King of Italy, until 1865. The palace rooms are packed with art and are extraordinarily gilded and ornate.
Palazzo Madama was originally a fortress, then a castle and later the home of Savoy duchesses. As a result, the front of the building is similar to Palazzo Reale, but the back is more like a castle. As with Palazzo Reale, it’s now a museum with displays that span various time periods. You can also climb up the tower for excellent views of the square below.
2. Spending time in the city’s beautiful piazzas
Piazza Castello is at one end of Turin’s main street, Via Roma. At the other end is Piazza Carlo Felice, which has a small park, while in the middle is Piazza San Carlo with its twin churches.
These are just three of many squares dotted around Turin. To the north is Piazza della Repubblica, a huge square that hosts Porta Palazzo, the largest open-air market in Europe. Next to it is a more modern market, Mercato Centrale Torino, with three floors of artisan shops, cafes and a cooking school. To the east, Piazza Vittorio Veneto is a good place to pause for a drink and enjoy views of the Alps rising in the distance.
3. Seeing the famous Turin Shroud
The 15th-century Cattedrale di San Giovanni Battista is behind the Palazzo Reale, so you need to go through a small passage to reach it. Its claim to fame is as the home of the Turin Shroud. You can visit the Holy Shroud Chapel, but you can’t usually see the shroud as it’s kept locked away. There’s a photo reproduction, though, and on it, you can see the face of a bearded man crowned with thorns. The shroud is claimed to be what Christ was wrapped in after his crucifixion. Some scientists think otherwise, but I’d say it’s a matter of faith. My Irish Catholic aunties were very happy with the Turin Shroud mementoes I brought back for them.
4. Walking along the rooftop Fiat car test track
Piedmont is well known as a car manufacturing region, and the Lingotto Centre is the result of a redesign of the former Fiat factory. It includes a shopping centre, exhibition space and an auditorium. The factory’s test track has been turned into La Pista 500, a rooftop garden with 40,000 plants plus sculptures and art installations. Overlooking it is the Pinacoteca Agnelli gallery, a collection of priceless artworks donated by the head of the Fiat dynasty. Works on display include pieces by Canaletto, Renoir, Matisse, Picasso and Manet.
5. Visiting Italy’s answer to the Palace of Versailles
A shuttle bus from Piazza Castello takes you to the Venaria Reale, a magnificent Savoy palace eight miles outside of Turin. It was originally constructed in 1659 as a hunting lodge, but then enlarged into a full-blown palace. Inside, the Great Gallery is reminiscent of the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles, while there is also an Orangery, Stables and Clock Tower. Outside is a rose garden, kitchen gardens and a hazel grove as well as a pond with gondolas. It was a hot day to spend too long walking around the grounds, but we enjoyed admiring them while eating lunch on the terrace.
6. Taking a day trip to feast on Michelin-starred risotto
Vercelli is known as the rice capital of Italy because it’s surrounded by vast rice paddies and produces around half of Italy’s risotto rice. As a result, it is home to the Michelin-starred Christian e Manuel Restorante. Run by the Costardi brothers, the restaurant specialises in risotto. So as that’s my favourite Italian dish (and the restaurant was recommended by Stanley Tucci on his Searching for Italy TV programme), it was a must-visit. Trains from Turin to Vercelli take 35-45 minutes, and directly opposite the town’s train station are two places worth allowing time to visit. The Basilica di Sant’Andrea (St Andrew’s Abbey) has a lovely cloister, and the town’s Duomo (Cattedrale di Sant’Eusebio) has a massive 10th-century crucifix hanging inside.
The restaurant is around a 20-minute walk from here, so we were able to get a feel for Vercelli’s narrow streets and piazzas, including the main square, Piazza Cavour, where there was a market underway.
Then for the main event, lunch at Christian e Manuel, which was every bit as good as we anticipated. There were 20 types of risotto on the menu, but we let the chef choose for us and loved what we had. Our first risotto was served in a Costardi’s can and made with Grana Padana cheese, beer reduction and coffee. An odd-sounding combination, but it was delicious. As was the risotto with butter, sage and lime. The antipasti, fish course, pre-dessert and our main dessert, ‘Paddy fields in winter’ were all amazing too. And the service, led by the mother of the chefs, was fantastic. She even drove us back to the train station after the taxi she ordered for us cancelled our booking! A first-class experience where the Michelin star is well deserved, and it was definitely worth the day trip from Turin.
7. Sampling amazing Piedmontese food and wine
Our trip to the Costardi’s restaurant in Vercelli was clearly the culinary highlight of the trip, but the food in Turin was excellent too. Every region of Italy has its own food and wine specialities and Piedmont is no exception. We arrived in Turin late in the evening, so after checking in we went to the closest restaurant to our apartment, Osteria Al Tagliere. That’s where we had our first taste of the famous Piedmontese dessert Bonet and the local Roero Arneis wine. The latter became a staple of the trip!
Also in Via Corte D’Appello, Piattini Caffe Vini is a good option for breakfast (or a late drink). Nearby Poormanger does great filled jacket potatoes for lunch, while Pizzium has a menu featuring pizzas from every region in Italy.
The area behind our apartment was packed with places to eat, including Aldente, a traditional Piedmontese gem. We had excellent mixed antipasto, which they adapted as my friend and I don’t eat meat. My ravioli with shrimp and scallops was also delicious, as was my friend’s Agnolotti filled with cheese.
On the other side of Piazza Castello is Taberna Libraria, a more contemporary Piedmontese restaurant. The food is fabulous and really nicely presented. I’d never had Nettle Pudding before, but it was a delicious starter. The main courses looked so good that my friend and I shared them. The pesto risotto with scallops and the seabass with tomato crust and zucchini cream were both excellent. And the walk back through the square was lovely with all the buildings lit up.
Another local speciality recommended by Stanley Tucci, which I agree can’t be missed, is Bicerin. The layered chocolate, coffee and cream hot drink is claimed to have been invented in Turin at Caffe Al Bicerin. It tasted great, and the cafe also does lots of other chocolate-based drinks, as well as coffees, teas, pastries and cakes. It’s also right next to Santuario della Consolata, a beautiful church that’s well worth popping into.
8. Having fun at Turin’s excellent bars
As readers of my blog will know, I love a cocktail. So I was very happy to find there were lots of great cocktail bars close to our apartment, particularly in Via Sant Agostino and Via delle Orfane. Inside Torino is a good option, while Les Folies is a great spot on a corner. We enjoyed both the cocktails and the people watching.
T-Club cocktail bar was another favourite with plenty of outside seating, while The Goodman is a classy joint with gorgeous cocktail glasses and decor.
So those are the highlights of my trip to Turin, but the city is also well-connected to other parts of the Piedmont region. My next stop was the truffle capital, Alba and the beautiful countryside that surrounds it. So look out for that post coming soon.
In the meantime, you can find other ideas for European holidays in the Europe section of my blog.