by Anne Supsic
Published on the Viator Travel Blog on August 29, 2013
Turin has never approached the popularity of top Italian tourist draws like Venice or Florence, but that undiscovered quality is just part of its charm. Turin, or Torino as the Italians call it, is an elegant city of arcaded streets and monumental squares, and on a clear day, the Alps gleam in the distance. But the magic doesn’t end there.
The world is supposedly composed of lines of energy and Turin is part of a triangle of white magic connecting with Lyon, France and Krakow, Poland. But Turin is also part of the black magic triangle that includes London and San Francisco making it the one city with a foot in both camps. Filled with both religious images and symbols of the occult, this truly is a city of good and evil.
Here are 7 reasons to take a magical mystery tour of Turin:
The greatest symbol of white magic in the city is, of course, the revered Shroud of Turin. The actual shroud is kept hidden in a vault within Turin Cathedral; however, many copies of the Shroud are on display around town. The best one is the enlarged version of the face on the Shroud that is prominently displayed near the altar in the cathedral. A silent video plays constantly on large flat screens positioned nearby, providing a tutorial (in Italian subtitles) that explains how the Shroud was placed over the body and describes flaws in the Shroud, such as holes and burn marks from the fire of 1532 and stains from water damage over the years.
To really get the skinny on the Shroud, visit the Sindone Museum (sindone means shroud in Italian) run with great efficiency and heartfelt dedication by a team of sweet, little Italian ladies. The museum is careful to make no claims about the origin of the Shroud, but it is clear from all the evidence that the Man in the Shroud (as the museum refers to him) was crucified by the Romans. And the Shroud has been around for centuries, showing up repeatedly in paintings and other artifacts throughout the ages (a wonderful example of art supporting historical and scientific investigation). What is not clear is how the man’s image was imprinted on the Shroud. Scientists are still studying this phenomenon; their best guess is that it was the result of some kind of geologic radiation.
Visit the Holy Shroud
Turin is a great city for walking with about 12 miles of arcaded streets providing ornate, pillared porticos to protect pedestrians from the elements while shopping or just strolling the streets. The city is also filled with beautiful palaces and many graceful architectural features. Masonic and satanic symbols are said to be hidden in the structural designs, proof that Turin really is a city of both white and black magic.
When Napoleon conquered Turin in 1798, he envisioned a city of gardens and public spaces, and as usual, he got what he wanted. Turin has numerous piazzas — huge open spaces surrounded by impressive architecture like Piazza San Carlo with its historic cafes and Piazza Castello with its amazing baroque palaces.
One of the most interesting piazzas is Piazza Statuto said to lie at the apex of the black magic triangle. The piazza looks pretty tame with a tranquil park where locals push baby carriages and walk their dogs. However, the square was once a Roman necropolis, and a guillotine was hard at work here during the days of the French Revolution. The statue at the front of the square is also quite disturbing — a craggy pyramid draped with male figures in poses of great agony. The monument was dedicated to the miners who suffered and died while building the Frejus Rail Tunnel connecting Italy with France.
Believe it or not, Turin has the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts outside of Cairo, some of which date back to 2000 BC. The Egyptian Museum offers a remarkable array of sarcophagi (some still holding dried up mummies), canopic jars that held the mummy’s internal organs, actual papyrus, and a whole army of shawabti (doll-like figures placed in tombs to perform agricultural work in the afterlife so the deceased could take it easy)
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One room contains the treasures from an unplundered tomb, a rarity in itself since tomb robbers seem to find their way into all the Egyptian tombs. Kha and Merit were a wealthy, but non-royal couple whose tomb was filled with an assortment of belongings: a board game similar to checkers, dried up bread (that has held up pretty well over the millennia), and even an early western-style toilet. The best room of all is the Statuary Hall; a dark room lined with enough well-lit statues of pharaohs, Egyptian gods, and sphinxes to make you forget you are in Italy!
The graceful 547-foot tower called Mole Antonelliana is the symbol of Turin, much like the Eiffel Tower is the symbol of Paris. It was the highest brick building in the world when it was completed in 1889 and offers stunning views of red rooftops, many historical buildings, and the Po River which flows nearby.
The Mole is also home to the Cinema Museum (Museo Nazionale del Cinema) with exhibits on the history of cinema from shadow puppets and simple optical tricks to Edison’s first attempts at making moving pictures. Other displays include clips from a variety of movies, a copy of the original screenplay for The Godfather, and Marilyn Monroe’s bustier!
Lingotto is an area south of the city center that was once the headquarters for car manufacturer Fiat. The sprawling former Fiat factory has been turned into a giant shopping complex that also houses an art museum called Pinacoteca Giovanni Marella Agnelli. The small but significant collection includes several paintings by Canaletto, some colorful Matisse canvases, and a lovely Renoir. Nearby, the multi-story food emporium ‘Eataly’ offers the best edibles of Italy, including entire aisles devoted to pasta and bread sticks.
Turin was once known as the ‘Detroit of Italy’ and its car building heritage lives on in the Automobile Museum (Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile). This museum explores the history of the automobile along with a jaw-dropping collection of Ferraris and Alpha Romeos. A video collection of car commercials is also fun with early commercials such as an Oldsmobile sing-a-long (just follow the bouncing ball) called ‘Me and my Merry Oldsmobile.’
The gastronomic temptations of Turin are buono non basta (goodness non-stop) with an array of gelaterias and the most alluring old chocolate shops loaded with only the finest of goodies. All of which seem to magically appear around every corner. Don’t miss Turin’s sweet-tooth specialty: a luscious combination of chocolate and hazelnut paste called giandujotto.
Another special treat in Turin are aperitivos. Much like tapas in Spain, aperitivos are served in bars during the pre-dinner Happy Hour. However, rather than paying by the individual plates as you do in Spain, in Turin one small charge (usually about 8€) buys a generous drink plus all the aperitivos you can eat. It’s like a tapas smorgasbord!
The list of day trip possibilities from Turin is long and varied. A rack railway accesses the scenic Basilica di Superga, the hill-top tomb of the Savoy kings with incredible views of the city below. Another easy option is the Venaria Palace (La Venaria Reale), a sumptuous baroque palace with magnificent gardens.
Forays into the Piedmont will satisfy even the most discerning wine connoisseur. Trains connect to the famous wine towns of Alba and Asti with plentiful opportunities to taste Barolo, known as ‘the wine of kings, the king of wines.’ Even the city of Milan beckons: her elegant cathedral and da Vinci’s Last Supper are only a short (45-minute) train ride away.
Published on the Viator Travel Blog on August 29, 2013
Turin has never approached the popularity of top Italian tourist draws like Venice or Florence, but that undiscovered quality is just part of its charm. Turin, or Torino as the Italians call it, is an elegant city of arcaded streets and monumental squares, and on a clear day, the Alps gleam in the distance. But the magic doesn’t end there.
The world is supposedly composed of lines of energy and Turin is part of a triangle of white magic connecting with Lyon, France and Krakow, Poland. But Turin is also part of the black magic triangle that includes London and San Francisco making it the one city with a foot in both camps. Filled with both religious images and symbols of the occult, this truly is a city of good and evil.
Here are 7 reasons to take a magical mystery tour of Turin:
1. The Shroud
 |
| Shroud of Turin |
To really get the skinny on the Shroud, visit the Sindone Museum (sindone means shroud in Italian) run with great efficiency and heartfelt dedication by a team of sweet, little Italian ladies. The museum is careful to make no claims about the origin of the Shroud, but it is clear from all the evidence that the Man in the Shroud (as the museum refers to him) was crucified by the Romans. And the Shroud has been around for centuries, showing up repeatedly in paintings and other artifacts throughout the ages (a wonderful example of art supporting historical and scientific investigation). What is not clear is how the man’s image was imprinted on the Shroud. Scientists are still studying this phenomenon; their best guess is that it was the result of some kind of geologic radiation.
Visit the Holy Shroud
2. Arcades and Piazzas
 |
| Piazza Statuto |
When Napoleon conquered Turin in 1798, he envisioned a city of gardens and public spaces, and as usual, he got what he wanted. Turin has numerous piazzas — huge open spaces surrounded by impressive architecture like Piazza San Carlo with its historic cafes and Piazza Castello with its amazing baroque palaces.
One of the most interesting piazzas is Piazza Statuto said to lie at the apex of the black magic triangle. The piazza looks pretty tame with a tranquil park where locals push baby carriages and walk their dogs. However, the square was once a Roman necropolis, and a guillotine was hard at work here during the days of the French Revolution. The statue at the front of the square is also quite disturbing — a craggy pyramid draped with male figures in poses of great agony. The monument was dedicated to the miners who suffered and died while building the Frejus Rail Tunnel connecting Italy with France.
3. The Egyptian Museum
 |
| Egyptian Museum in Turin |
.
One room contains the treasures from an unplundered tomb, a rarity in itself since tomb robbers seem to find their way into all the Egyptian tombs. Kha and Merit were a wealthy, but non-royal couple whose tomb was filled with an assortment of belongings: a board game similar to checkers, dried up bread (that has held up pretty well over the millennia), and even an early western-style toilet. The best room of all is the Statuary Hall; a dark room lined with enough well-lit statues of pharaohs, Egyptian gods, and sphinxes to make you forget you are in Italy!
4. Mole Antonelliana
 |
| Mole Antonelliana |
The graceful 547-foot tower called Mole Antonelliana is the symbol of Turin, much like the Eiffel Tower is the symbol of Paris. It was the highest brick building in the world when it was completed in 1889 and offers stunning views of red rooftops, many historical buildings, and the Po River which flows nearby.
The Mole is also home to the Cinema Museum (Museo Nazionale del Cinema) with exhibits on the history of cinema from shadow puppets and simple optical tricks to Edison’s first attempts at making moving pictures. Other displays include clips from a variety of movies, a copy of the original screenplay for The Godfather, and Marilyn Monroe’s bustier!
5. Home of the Fiat
 |
| Fiat in Turin |
Turin was once known as the ‘Detroit of Italy’ and its car building heritage lives on in the Automobile Museum (Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile). This museum explores the history of the automobile along with a jaw-dropping collection of Ferraris and Alpha Romeos. A video collection of car commercials is also fun with early commercials such as an Oldsmobile sing-a-long (just follow the bouncing ball) called ‘Me and my Merry Oldsmobile.’
6. Temptations of Turin
 |
| Temptations of Turin |
Another special treat in Turin are aperitivos. Much like tapas in Spain, aperitivos are served in bars during the pre-dinner Happy Hour. However, rather than paying by the individual plates as you do in Spain, in Turin one small charge (usually about 8€) buys a generous drink plus all the aperitivos you can eat. It’s like a tapas smorgasbord!
7. Easy Day Trips
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Forays into the Piedmont will satisfy even the most discerning wine connoisseur. Trains connect to the famous wine towns of Alba and Asti with plentiful opportunities to taste Barolo, known as ‘the wine of kings, the king of wines.’ Even the city of Milan beckons: her elegant cathedral and da Vinci’s Last Supper are only a short (45-minute) train ride away.
