Turin: the kingdom of "Ramsete of Savoy". Northwestern Italy travel review

 

Now after a generous summer, but with some uncertainty about the conditions of time, starting from home in the camper at 21:20 any day of the week, with the now complete darkness and with the radio turned on the football match (game world) France -Italy ... Our goal is Turin, historic city and capital of Piedmont, known for its industries (Fiat in the head), but tourists often too unevenly ... Instead we believe can be recognized this short vacation that we wanted to dedicate.
Twenty minutes after the start take the highway A14 in Faenza and 22:10 the A1 to Bologna ... Fila everything proceed smoothly and dispatched to the north, so around 23:00 we are at Parma, while Italy has unfortunately taken a sound beating (3 to 1 ... but the World Cup we will not remove any!)
Sabrina and Richard shortly after Piacenza, while we begin to follow the A21, you go to sleep, so I remain alone in the company of the radio, to drive towards goal.
One mile after leaving the Emilia-Romagna and enter in Sydney, while the body is midnight ...

In short we come in sight of the sign that heralds our entry into Piedmont and continuing smoothly, thanks to little traffic, almost 1: 00 we leave behind the exit of Asti to win, only one quarter of an hour more later, the first suburbs of Turin.
Ignoring for the moment, the capital Piemontese continue south along the A6 and exit almost immediately from the location of Carmagnola to follow the state that makes us get there, just before 2:00, the stop for the campers Racconigi town, from where we start tomorrow morning our visits ... there is no one else besides us in the parking but the place seems quiet and I can finally give me a few hours of sleep.
It is not easy getting up from bed just after 8:00, but I have to do it for not wasting your time with great difficulty recovered during the night ... We make breakfast while the glass over the sky is cloudy and the sun almost absent, and then, from a few minutes to 9:00, c'incamminiamo towards the Royal Castle of Racconigi.
The origins of the manor at the end of the twelfth century, under the Marquis of Saluzzo. Then passed to the Savoy family was almost completely restored by Emanuele Filiberto di Carignano, who in 1676 gave the design the architect Guarino Guarini. Finally, in 1755 began the work to implement the imposing facade in brick, which still dominates the square of the small town of Piedmont province ... However, we are in Italy and it shows: there are jobs everywhere and everything is dilapidated, the magnificent wrought iron gate is a thousand colors and several walls are descalers ... that anger! ...
Expect to face the impressive staircase the time of our visit and when at last we leave the driving to us forbids taking photos, even without flash ... E 'absurd, we were practically the only ones in Europe to impose such a restriction ... It means that, for good Italian, try to do some 'the smart ... without any remorse!
The interior, no doubt, are sumptuous and beautiful, made with different environments dall'insigne Pelagi Pelagio Bolognese architect, who is known for the ubiquitous stylized signature in the form of a palm leaf, with the great hall, full stucco and gilding, and the apartment of China, rich in valuable oriental carpets.
We remain immersed for nearly an hour in the rooms of the castle and then leave Racconigi wish to visit the huge park which stretches on the back of the complex, designed by André le Notre, the famous architect known for, among other design gardens of the palace of Versailles.
With the help of a train arrive at the opposite end of the Park (largely closed for restoration), where the stables, greenhouses and the actual so-called "Garden of Principina" but everything is closed and only opens on Sundays ... What an absurd and incomprehensible!
When I now 13:00, although a little 'disappointed, we conclude the visit of the castle and keep Racconigi ... a beautiful and interesting to visit, there is not that dire, but it could be much more positive ... if at least there was the sun!
Returned to the camper we move immediately to the first suburbs of Turin and more precisely the location of Stupinigi, where, after a quick lunch, we go to see the famous palace of the Savoy hunting.
Commissioned in 1728 by Vittorio Amedeo II architect Filippo Juvarra, the residence was inhabited by the court until 1919 and is characterized by its purely hunting destination, with the statue of a deer tall above the central dome and the highest ' harmonious complex of buildings, overlooking the Piedmont countryside, once rich with game.
Even here, however we are Italy: half the building is under renovation and closed to the public, the park is inaccessible on the back and left to itself, while the last visit of the day is scheduled for 15:15, with all the afternoon still ahead ... Fortunately, we are among those elected to take part and we can triumphantly cross a side door (the main one is closed for work) ... There is, of course, something positive in all of this and are beautiful inside (at least those we could see), in particular the magnificent central hall, elliptical, very high and completely frescoed ... We are so dazzled in the face of so much wonder, alone, of course, can not be photographed and to take home a couple of shots I felt, wrongly, as a despicable thief of works of art ...
Stupinigi leave with most of the afternoon still available, we run towards the Val di Susa and paths we take a few kilometers to climb in the direction of the Sacred S. Michael, with the sky above us more and more gray ... and gray is also the shrine, which lost so much of his spectacular ... what a pity!
The monastery (grand) rises to 960 meters high on the summit of Mount Pirchiriano and is the result of the superimposition of different architectural styles and more buildings erected from 998, to the radical restoration of the late nineteenth century.
We arrive in extremis on the spot and quickly reached a step input the former can make the visit go up along the steep staircase of the Dead, that leads to the so-called Porta dello Zodiaco ramp and one final ascent at last we enter the Church of St. Michael, who stands on the highest point of the rocky outcrop that houses the whole ... From there and the surrounding terraces, despite today's fog and the day certainly not optimal, you savor the beautiful scenery in which turns were also several scenes of the known film "The Name of the Rose" with Sean Connery.
And kissed by some unexpected sunshine conclude at 18:30 an interesting exploration of the Sacra di S. Michael and regained the camper back to get off in the direction of Turin ... Before going to the center of the Piedmontese capital, however, we head into the north-east, at Caselle, responsible for purchase, at the door "Torino Card" which will allow us to have included in the price, facilities, and countless other inputs to wide variety of city museums.
By now the evening we will venture finally looking for the place where to spend the second (but the third and fourth) night of this trip ... Thus, we arrive shortly after 20:00, the camp Villa Rey, on the first hill, a short distance from the city is nearly full, but we found a place and once we finally arranged to dine ... we look a little 'TV and go to bed soon, because tomorrow morning will start the visit of the real city, backed up, hopefully, better weather conditions than at present.

First part

During the night did finimondo: thunder, lightning and a torrent of water that came down from heaven ... In the morning, when we look out the window, everything is gray and typically autumn, so idle a little 'more than necessary between the sheets, but shortly after 8:00 and we get up at 9:30 c'incamminiamo coming out of camp, while , above a layer of cloudy increasingly thin, the sun shines shyly.
Go up the bus number 56 and we move toward the center of Turin. Beyond reach Piazza Castello and near the railway station of Porta Susa ... Go there and you reach a short distance, the Museo Pietro Micca.
This unique exhibition was built in 1961 to commemorate the historic siege of the French at Turin in 1706, but above all to remember his hero par excellence, that Pietro Micca, soldier-miners, who for his deeds usually remains imprinted in the memory of all school ... including us, of course.
In a handful of rooms have collected maps and relics dating back to and enthusiastic guide explains enthusiastically all stages of the battle, but in the subsoil that the visit is very interesting: you run numerous galleries "contromina" conducted by Piedmont to defend the city, and you can see the scale in which Pietro Micca made his heroic gesture sacrifice to counter the enemy, all seasoned by some suggestive movies and special effects, still being tested, but very realistic.
After over an hour Heading in the area and met while walking along Via Cernaia we move to Male, the only remaining building of the old citadel of Turin, to see the Historical Museum of Artillery ... but there's more: in its place was an exhibition sull'assedio documentary of 1706, which is free but sickly, pass in rapid review, to resume as soon as our robust program of visits.
Walk down Via Garibaldi, one of the longest pedestrian zones of Italy, and through the small but charming Piazza Palazzo di Città, with the focus on seventeenth-century town hall, we come to Piazza Castello, which has always been historical and political hub of the city, on this street numerous important buildings.
We start from the Real Church of St. Lorenzo, who is about to close its doors, and we see the octagonal-shaped interior, designed in Baroque style by architect Guarino Guarini, in the seventeenth century.
At we focus on Palazzo Madama, which stands at the center the huge square, the ancient castle dates back to its origins to Roman times and even has a set of architectural styles, from the purely military to sumptuous Baroque facade, built by Filippo Juvarra in the eighteenth ... But the most striking Piazza Castello is the large number of royal palace, preceded by a cast iron monument removed.

Second part

The South has already risen from a little ', but we do not give truce and try to fit the times of museums and monuments since, ricordiamocelo, we are always in Italy ... the Armeria Reale, which is nearby, it closes at 14:00 and not reopen until tomorrow morning, so we rushed to see it ... Among the most important collections of its kind in Europe and in particular includes a unique set of armor, placed in an extraordinary environment, along the wonderful gallery of Beaumont, designed by Filippo Juvarra and sumptuously painted by the artist of the same name.
"Stolen" as usual, some pictures come back in Piazza Castello, and turned around at the Palazzo Madama to immortalize the facade older, we stop to have lunch with our sandwiches sitting on a bench, and soon leaves off overbearingly the sun and we must run away in search of a shadow because the sudden, unexpected heat ... The day, in fact, took a brief characteristics typical summer and the sky, now wonderfully smooth, contrasts with the clear tones of the Palazzo Reale, creating unparalleled opportunities.
I decided to visit his Royal Palace we head towards the ticket office, but it is closed and reopened at 14:00 ... Not missing much around and expect to introduce later in perfect time ... Contrary to all predictions the door has opened slightly ahead and a guided tour of the 14:20 is already complete, but there's only one place more than two hours! ... I quit some imprecation leave while studying a program of visits to alternative would like to see the royal gardens, but of course are closed for restoration, then we go a few block away, at the Porta Palatina.
Great rest of the Roman era, dating to the first century AD, the Porta Palatina is one of the oldest monuments of Turin and stands strong, all red brick, around a grassy esplanade ... defensive bulwark once proud and now I remember the ancient origins of the city.
Understood we move on to visit the nearby Museum of Antiquities, which was not foreseen, but which serves to make us pass the time walking between pleasantly interesting archaeological findings, to arrive at 15:00 when the doors re-open the adjacent Duomo .
A quick look at what is (very little) of the Roman Theater and then we go up the stairs to the most important religious building in Turin. Built in Renaissance style at the end of the fifteenth century, the cathedral of Turin is not true a gem of architecture and the interior is pretty bare, but it should be universally known for hosting one of the most important relics of Christianity: the Holy Shroud, the subject of countless studies and assumptions, but, above all, the linen cloth in which to all believers, Jesus Christ was wrapped after the crucifixion, leaving imprinted on the fabric the shape of her face and entire body ... The precious object of worship is not always exposed to the public, but very rarely (the next time in 2025), then we stop with respect to a moment in front of the chapel that houses and then go back to the open air.
Always a magnificent shining sun and we move calmly toward our appointment with the Royal Palace, which was built in the second half of 1600 was the official residence of the Savoy kings, until 1865 ... The interiors are beautiful: climb a grand staircase and visit the sumptuous environments of representation, beautifully decorated by the most famous architects of the court, among which stands out Filippo Juvarra, brilliant designer also called Scale of Scissors ... But you can not see all the rooms of the palace, in fact many are closed for renovations, but at least we would have liked to film and photograph ... and of course you can not! ... As we are obtuse in managing our artistic heritage!
When we leave the Royal Palace are already past 17:00, the legs are now in pieces but we decide to see another thing, a symbol of Turin and certainly its highest building, the Mole Antonelliana.
C'incamminiamo from Piazza Castello on Via Giuseppe Verdi and reach the foot of the building, born in 1863, at the hands of architect Alessandro Antonelli as a synagogue and opened in 1889, one year after the death of its designer, as the seat of Museum of the Renaissance ... For a long period, until 1930, with its height of 167.5 meters was the highest brick building in Europe.
Mole Antonelliana today houses the Museo Nazionale del Cinema, that we decide not to visit, but we are nevertheless willing to climb on its panoramic terrace. Face of a long tail, and through a dramatic glass elevator in the reach of 85 meters below the temple spire. From there the view is magnificent and encompasses the city and the surrounding mountains ... One sees also in the nearby Corso S. Mauritius, the strange building called "Fetta di Polenta", the same designer, who obviously like the business daring.
Returned with their feet firmly on the ground, tired, we reach the nearby Via Po and taken the bus we move in the direction of the camp ... Seen but the disservice to our public "accommodation" remains to be walking along a beautiful stretch of road all uphill and exhausted we reach the goal. Before dinner, we give such a nice refreshing shower and then we will withdraw the camper to rest, to see a little 'TV and meditate on what we saw today beautiful walk to the historic center of Turin.

Gray clouds still dominate Torino and in this new day, but we do not lose heart and start undeterred towards the city center.
The bus will arrive in Piazza Castello and from there in a few minutes walk, we reach the famous Egyptian Museum, the main reason why we have come in the capital of Piedmont ... The extraordinary collection of artefacts housed in the halls of this museum, in fact, is the world second only to that of Cairo and stuzzica more than anything else our curiosity.
Started by Savoy in 1700, the collection was completed at the beginning of the twentieth century by the famous archaeologist Ernesto Schiapparelli, who led several successful campaigns of excavations along the Nile.
C'immergiamo so between hieroglyphics, tombstones and funerary steles, statues and amulets, and disturbing stupendi sarcophaguses mummies (human and animals), papyruses amazing in a good state of preservation and tombs full of furniture ... It 'a real pleasure to observe the amazing variety of exhibits, plus you can even take pictures (without flash rightly), as it should be everywhere, and I literally unleashes ... Absolutely extraordinary then, at the end of the tour, is the section statuary, with varied and impressive representations of pharaohs and gods made of sandstone, granite or black Basani.
Enthusiastically completed the visit does not leave the palace, however, as the sun is hiding, and we decide to give a quick look all'attigua Savoy Gallery, despite our ignorance declared for painting ... However, we find a way to enjoy another hour, so at ... miracle! ... Through the white blanket of clouds filter beneaugurate some sunshine.
The South has already risen from a little 'and we go to lunch with our sandwiches in the central Piazza S. Carlo ... The most beautiful square of Turin presents a harmonious architectural look, given in the seventeenth century by architect Carlo di Castellamonte, and on the short side, south-west, is characterized by the curious twin churches of S. Cristina and St. Carlo, currently under restoration and surrounded by unsightly scaffolding ... It 'the most lively city of open space, where fans usually meet the legendary Juventus to victory every trophy, and the place where today the festival is held for one hundred years of glorious carmaker Lancia with beautiful cars on display d' age ... in a way worthy introduction to one of the visits scheduled for the afternoon.
As the sun wins the battle to come back daily walk towards Piazza Castello and pass to photograph the beautiful Palazzo Carignano, the historic seat of the first Italian Parliament and now the Museum of the Renaissance, but we decide not to see.
Piazza Carlo Alberto Nell'antistante held today, a small flea market, we see briefly before crossing the scenic Subalpina Gallery that lets us get right next to the Palazzo Madama.
Using public transport gain the vast Piazza Vittorio Veneto and from there, with a short walk, called Murazzi, on the banks of the Po, where at 15:00 Sailing on board Valentino.
Sail the first river of Italy, we still unripe, and verging Gardens Valentino (the largest green space in Turin) continue further south to the Park of Italy 61 ... Go there and you reach the National Automobile Museum, opened in 1960 and unique collection of beautiful vintage cars and sports, including the Ferrari of Schumacher and the late Gilles Villeneuve ... a wonderful experience, rather than a duty, in the Italian capital of the four wheels.
After an hour plenty of engines in the world, we return by bus to the center and we stop the Parco del Valentino, which, undertaken in mid-nineteenth century, is one of the first urban parks in Italy and real green lung in Turin.
We are now exhausted, but we see the rock garden, the medieval village (a fake, constructed in 1884 at an international level) and the Valentino Castle, built in the sixteenth century villa of a river and then transformed into residence .. . Now houses the Faculty of Architecture, and is not open, so we be content to observe, through the railing, the monumental facade with a large courtyard.
It is almost 18:00 and observed a sign advertising, I tell you by phone about the so-called Villa della Regina, just reopened after a long period of restoration, but all the visits (guided only) are booked until October! ... Obviously renounce and we are approaching the camp, resigned to take the last devastating stretch of uphill walk ... but in the end, with pride and contrary to what happened to the French, we can say that he had almost conquered Turin and we will withdraw inside the camper to rest in anticipation of the end of visits scheduled for tomorrow morning.

The alarm clock is a calm in this last day of a short but interesting vacation ... We make breakfast while on TV is aired on Malaysian Grand Prix motorcycling (with a peremptory victory Valentino Rossi!), Then leave the camper in Camp Villa Rey.
Descend on the banks of the Po and following first arrive in the outskirts of Turin, Sassi, from where the rack for the Basilica di Superga.
We find a parking space for our half and we inform you on the train that will not start before 11:00 hrs ... However we decide to wait, because the ascent of the hill in this way seems much more intriguing, which is not carried out on rubber ... In fact go up at a preset, metro after metro, beautiful views of the city, until the famous religious building, which for various reasons can be defined as a symbol of the Piedmontese capital, built at the beginning of the eighteenth century, as ex-voto, by King Vittorio Amedeo II, designed by Filippo Juvarra.
Just arrived to book a visit to the Royal Tombs therefore circumvented on the back of the Basilica, we go to see the plaque commemorating the tragedy of the Grande Torino, occurred in this place May 4 1949: the plane of the formation of calcium then champion Italy, also militate in which ten of the eleventh national team, crashed with no survivors in landing on the hill of Superga, causing a perceptible discomfort even today among all the fans of del Toro and every true athlete of Bel Paese.
Just finished the Sunday gl'interni also explore the Basilica, built in Baroque style, and exit, in perfect time (at 12:15) we appear to visit the Royal Tombs: in fact, buried underground are all descendants of the house Savoy, from the unification of Italy in 1731, with the tomb at the center of the monumental tomb of King Carlo Alberto ... A guide accompanied us talking continuously for 45 minutes, telling stories and anecdotes for each component of real-house, making it pleasant as well as interesting insight macabre.
After visiting the underground climb the 130 steps leading to the base of the dome ... the view from up there is beautiful, but the thick haze suggests not much and the silhouette of the Alps surrounding Turin is not only seen in a memory card.
13:30 return to climb the rack and, leaving behind the Basilica di Superga, briefly regained the banks of the Po, where we find the camper, so, given the hour, have lunch and just after we started the return journey .
We start from Turin to 14:55 and traveled across the A21 at 16:50 we are at Piacenza. Take the A1 and without impediment, to 18:15 we are in Bologna.
The A14 line via smooth, while in the opposite direction to ours, to return from the sea, there are long queuing, just five minutes before we go out from 19:00 to Forlì and after daily operation and 19:25 happily close Piedmont's short experience in front the gate of our house.
E 'was an interesting journey and a rich history: from the car to the ancient Romans, but especially from the Savoy kings and Egyptian pharaohs, to absurd, but only with a question mark there, we went from Turin (the wonderful and surprising Torino) ... but in that period he reigned King Ramses of Savoy? ...

 Dal 6 al 10 Settembre 2006

 Da Forlì a Forlì km. 981