Piemont Tour 2019

Our next tour takes us in a six hour drive to Turin / Torino, to the start of a cycle tour through the Piedmontese countryside

First impression of Turin was noticed as one of my sons is intensively engaged in Gross Fit.

In front of our hotel, a special welcome for cyclists ;-)

All visitors are invited to accompany me a little through Torino. Turin/ Torino , administrative centre of the city of Turin and the Piedmont region, it is the fourth largest Italian city. Turin is located in the Po Valley and is bordered to the west and north by the Alps and to the south by the hills of Monferrato. Turin is a good 100 kilometres away from France in the west and Switzerland in the north.

Piazza C.L.N. Comitato di Liberazione Nazionale is a small square in the historical centre of Turin. Before 1935 it was known as "Piazza delle Due Chiese". The two fountains with anthropomorphic allegories of the Po and Dora Riparia rivers were designed and made in 1937 and the square was renamed "Piazza delle Due Fontane". During the German occupation in the Second World War, the Gestapo command was located here, in the Albergo Nazionale. The name of the square was dedicated after the war to the National Liberation Committee, which was founded in Italy at the end of fascism.

Piazza San Carlo one of the most important squares in Turin. Built in the 16th and 17th centuries, it is an example of baroque style. Its current name is a tribute to Charles Borromeo. The square serves as a stage for various historical and social events, including election campaigns, concerts, events, live television . In June 2017, there was a robbery followed by a mass panic during a performance of the 2017 UEFA Champions League final in which two women died and at least 1,526 people were injured.

The twin churches of Chiesa di Santa Cristina and Chiesa di San Carlo Borromeo . Church Chiesa di Santa Cristina on the left side, was built from 1640 and received in the years 1715 - 1718 the current facade The Church of San Carlo Borromeo on the right, built from 1619, received in 1834 the current facade, which is oriented to the neighboring church. The distance between the two churches is exactly the width of the ancient Roman road that used to run here.

In the middle of Piazza San Carlo, surrounded by arcades, stands the Caval 'd brons the equestrian monument of Emmanuel Philibert Duke of Savoy.

Galleria San Federico A commercial building in the historical centre of Turin. Built in the thirties, it houses numerous shops, offices and a historic cinema, which with its 1,573 seats was the largest and most modern cinema in Turin.

The first offices were rented by the daily newspaper La Stampa, and in 1934 the large cinema was inaugurated and the insurance company SAI was also based here. Since then, the Galleria San Federico has been a prestigious location for shops, jewellers and professional studios, as well as the headquarters of the Juventus football club.

The gallery was restored in the 2000s, including the complete renovation of the historic Cinema Lux.

Piazza Castello with view to Piazza Reale and Palazzo Reale Piazza Castello as the main square of Turin, the heart of the historical centre of the city. On the right hand side is the Palazzo Madama which together with Casaforte degli Acaja forms a complex of buildings, around the square there are pallazos full of history and elegant arcades from different eras.

The monument in honour of the Sardinian army Ensign of the Sardinian Army The white marble statue, the work of the Ticino sculptor Vincenzo Vela, represents a simple ensign of the Sardinian army.

Very well guarded, the access of Palazzo Reale and Piazzeta Reale, the cast-iron gate was built in 1840 to separate the Royal Square from Piazza Castello. The Royal Palace of Turin is the first and most important Savoy residence in Piedmont. It represents the heart of the Savoy court and is part of the Unesco World Heritage.

Head of the Medusa, detail of the gate of the Royal Palace. Medusa is a gorgon, a winged fright figure with snake hair ,that turns anyone who looks at her to stone.

The bronze sculptures Castor and Pollux, decorate the gate. Castor and Pollux, mythical twins from ancient times. Castor and Pollux shared a deep brotherly love, which was shaken by the murder of Castor. The grieving brother was given the choice by Zeus to live a divine life for all eternity or alternately spend a day with his brother in hell and a day on Olympus. Pollux chose the proximity of his twin brother, Castor and Pollux are known since then as inseparable brothers.

Condominio 25 Verde offers a completely different townscape The Condominio 25 Verde is the first residential building with an ecologically sustainable bio-architecture in the city. The project, launched in 2007, was born from the idea of creating a new residential building that will be able to change part of its appearance thanks to the use of vegetation. The project, together with the Vertical Forests of Milan, is considered one of the most important examples of the integration of green spaces in architecture.

Condominio 25 Verde The steel structures are reminiscent of trees in the forest, which have their roots on the different floors, terrace anchors, water basins, and the vegetation that grows on the building. On the roofs there are lush gardens. The building is a kind of habitable forest, a tree house, like I always dreamed of as a little boy.