Turin’s origins lie in Roman military history with Emperor Augustus building the town around 2000 years ago as a military camp, stationing his soldiers here to protect the Roman north border. The structure of the town remained largely unchanged through the centuries until the 15th century. The Savoy Dukedom united the various administrative and political fractions within Piedmont, and Turin became the Duke’s official residence. The Savoy government expanded the city by adding massive defensive bastions. Further expansion came in the late 17th century, when the old Bishop’s Palace was replaced with the Royal Palace, and the splendid Piazza Castello got some of its most imposing buildings: the Church of San Lorenzo, and the Chapel of the famous Holy Shroud.

In the late 18th century, the city came under French rule when Napoleon invaded Piedmont and took control. He demolished the old city walls and fortifications to make it more suited to modern warfare. This radical act enabled the city to expand dramatically in later years. Although Turin retained its 18th century basic lay-out, modern expansion took place in all directions, and incorporated the river Po into the town. Because Turin could now grow freely, the industrial revolution took a firm grip on the town and turned it into one of Italy’s manufacturing strongholds. This status was boosted further when in 1861 Turin became the capital of the new United Italy. A railway system was developed to ensure reliable transport of raw materials into the town and finished goods out of the town. The First World War contributed further to Turin’s industrial growth - Fiat expanded from 4,000 workers in 1914 to 40,000 workers in 1918. After severe bombings during the Second World War, which left the city in ruins, many believe it was Fiat that built the city back up, and transformed it into the industrial capital of Italy.

Many of Turin’s most important sights are situated on and around the Piazza Castello. Here you will find the Royal Palace, Royal Library, and the Royal Theatre. In the very heart of the square is the Palazzo Madama, a building which reflects the history of the city in its many styles. Part of this palazzo consists of a Roman gate that was turned into a castle in the 17th century, which later got a Baroque façade. The palace houses a museum today: the Civic Ancient Art Museum. Important shopping streets radiate out from the Piazza Castello, such as Via Roma, Via Po, and Via Garibaldi.

The Porto Palatina is a massive relic from roman times. This impressive building consists of two towers of the Roman wall that once surrounded the city. Not far from here, on the Via XX Settembre, the remains of a Roman theatre can be found near the basement of the Royal Palace.

Turin’s Renaissance cathedral was built in 1498 and was dedicated to John the Baptist. The famous Chapel of the Holy Shroud was built onto the existing structure between 1668 and 1694, but is currently being restored after the fire of 1997.

Turin is buzzing city, which is bound to get busier when it hosts the 2006 Winter Olympics. Food and drink are an important part of Italian life, and Turin has a lot to offer. Just drop in to one of the town centre’s many little bistros and cafés to sample the local produce. Piedmonte is famous for its excellent white truffles, which are used in a variety of traditional dishes – or eaten by themselves as a delicacy. Many well-known cheeses have their origins in the area, such as Gorgonzola, Murrazano, and Grasso d’Alpe. Of course these must be eaten with a good glass of wine, notably Barolo, Barbera d’Asti, Barbera d’Alba, Moscato d’Asti, and Asti Spumante.

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