Province de
Turin
www.provincia.torino.it
TORINO AND ITS
PROVINCE: A LAND WORTH DISCOVERING
The name Turin brings to mind the splendour of the House of
Savoy, Italian Unification, majestic churches and baroque
palazzos, famous museums, the car industry, and sport.
However, a visit to Turin and its surrounding area also
means encountering a magnificent crown of mountain ranges
and famous ski resorts, a significant part of the Gran
Paradiso National Park, lakes and hills, and the River Po
(worth exploring, whether by boat or cycling along its
banks). The Alpine capital is there to be discovered; its
roads, squares, wide tree-lined avenues, the Royal Palace,
Valentino Castle, the Egyptian and Cinema Museums,
historical cafés, pastry shops and restaurants specialising
in Piedmont cooking. Furthermore, we must not forget the
lively spirit of this subalpine city, making it one of the
European capitals of cinema and modern art. The towns
around Turin are steeped in history and bear testimony to
its glorious past. The House of Savoy royal residences
(Rivoli, Venaria Reale, Moncalieri, Stupinigi, declared
part of the “World Heritage” by UNESCO) is being returned
to its former splendour under the rule of the Court of the
King of Sardinia and will be a leading attraction during
the 150 th anniversary celebrations of Italian Unification,
proclaimed in Turin in 1861.
The Susa, Chisone and Germanasca valleys all offer the
opportunity to try out Olympic ski slopes, cross country
ski courses, outstanding alpine skiing and mountaineering
routes and – most of all - to enjoy a unique range of flora
and fauna just a stone's throw from the city. Our valleys
have the most innovative winter sports facilities in the
world, offering sports holidays that go well beyond a
simple traditional week's skiing: a taste of pure emotion
and adventure with the Cesena taxi-bob or ski jumping in
the safety of the Pragelato facilities - part of the 2006
Olympic Winter Games inheritance.
Most of all, we want tourists to visit our valleys to
discover a centuries-old history that has left indelible
traces in our culture, habits and customs, and our
religious and secular architecture: the Sacra di San
Michele Abbey; the Forts of Fenestrelle and Exilles; the
old historical town centres of Susa, Pinerolo and
Avigliana. The Pellice Valley deserves a special visit,
where the Waldesian religious tradition has been kept
intact and passed down over the centuries, proud of its
faith and culture. North of Turin, we meet the greenery of
the Canavese area and the Lanzo Valleys with their
memorable array of medieval and Renaissance castles. The
agricultural landscape of the Canavese, Carmagnola and
Chieri plains testify to centuries of human toil and labour
on the land. Finally, one of the few remaining unspoilt
natural oases - the Gran Paradiso National Park – lies
along the border with the Aosta Valley.
We trust that a simple click on your mouse as you visit our
website will lead you to discover the wide range of
interests awaiting visitors to the Turin province: social,
economic, the manufacturing framework and - last but no
means least - the duties and responsibilities its local
administration is called upon to fulfil day in, day
out.
