Secret Turin: 10 must-see places to discover its hidden beauty
With its icy elegance and the typical charm of the cities beyond the Alps, Turin is one of the most fascinating destinations in Northern Italy. Former capital of the country, today it’s known mainly for its museums (the Egyptian Museum, the Cinema Museum and the Automobile Museum), chocolate and some monuments and historic buildings, such as the Mole Antonelliana, Palazzo Reale and Palazzo Madama.
In Turin, two souls live together: a cold aesthetic, reflected in its architecture (the city’s not far from the Alps, where the people of Turin often take day trips and excursions) but that hides a welcoming heart in the spirit of its picturesque inhabitants. Trends that, apparently opposite, coexist in the neighborhoods that make up its structure, rigorous in their geometry as folkloristic in their identity.
In 2022, Turin hosted the Eurovision Song Contest, an event that has led many tourists to rediscover it as a destination for their holidays. Beyond the Duomo and Piazza Castello, however, there’s much more to see in the city: for this reason we have selected 10 secret places in Turin, in an itinerary that touches the whole center and will lead you to discover its hidden beauty.
The love bench
(immage made by @umbegus78)
A work by Rodolfo Marasciuolo, the love bench is located in the heart of Valentino Park, in the San Salvario district. The two street lamps, original protagonists of the sculpture, leave space to anyone who wants to sit on the bench, between the spectacle of the medieval village and the natural beauty of the rocky garden.
The Subalpina Gallery
Majestic structure just behind Piazza Castello, the breathtaking architecture of the Subalpina Gallery is inspired by the Parisian passages and, more than a commercial space, resembles an elegant lounge in Baroque and Renaissance style. Under its stained glass windows there are renowned restaurants, a cinema, an art gallery and an antique library. A piece of Turin where time has stopped.
The Balon
Borgo Dora is the district of the Aurora neighborhood that develops around Porta Palazzo, the largest covered market in Europe. Here, every second Sunday of the month, one of the most famous flea markets in Italy is held. Antiques, prints, clothing, costume jewelry, but also furniture and absurd objects: among its stalls and cobbled streets of the district you can shop, chat and unveil the convivial soul of Turin.
The door of the Devil
Being one of the vertices of the two triangles of black and white magic in Europe, over the centuries Turin has earned the reputation of an esoteric city. The door clapper of Palazzo Trucchi di Levaldigi (now home of the National Bank of Labor) shows it: it depicts a devil and two snakes, and legends say that it magically appeared one night. Other legends that gravitate around the building tell that within its walls it has taken many prisoners and that the ghost of a dancer still wanders through its rooms. In tarot cards, the number associated with the figure of the Devil is 15: guess what bus passes by.
The Slice of polenta building
It’s called Casa Scaccabarozzi, but in Turin everyone calls it Slice of polenta. The architect behind this building in the Vanchiglia district is Alessandro Antonelli, the same behind the project of the iconic Mole (now home to the Cinema Museum) who completed it for a challenge, more than for a real housing and architectural need. The reason for its nickname can be easily guessed by observing the colors and the narrow and elongated shape.
The pierced building
Another particular building is the pierced building, not far from the Duomo and the central Via Garibaldi. In fact the art installation, dating back to the 90s and initially conceived as temporary, is titled Urban kisses and is the work of architect Corrado Levi. With it, Levi wanted to emphasize the two souls of Turin: the rebel one, represented by the piercing, and the more rigorous one that is reflected in the eighteenth-century palace that houses it. On the sides of the piercing there are also two streams of blood, colored in red and blue, symbolizing proletariat and nobility.
The Condominium 25 Verde
Forest building, house in the trees, vertical forest, jungle palace: whatever you call it the Condominium 25 Verde, residential complex in the San Salvario district, is an example of innovation and sustainable building where nature happily coexists with urban architecture. A project by Luciano Pia, in its spaces it houses 63 apartments and more than 200 trees, which generate oxygen and reduce fine dust.
Millo’s murals
The murals of the street artist Millo - pseudonym of Francesco Camillo Giorgino - are part of a larger project, promoted by the City of Turin, to redevelop the Barriera di Milano district. The murals are 13, scattered throughout the neighborhood, but they’re not the only street art works in the city: interesting murals can also be found in the neighborhoods Aurora, Borgo Rossini and Borgo Campidoglio.
The Circolo dei lettori
The Circolo dei lettori is a hidden lounge near Via Po, a meeting place for enthusiasts, authors and bookworms who can participate in reading groups and cultural initiatives. It’s located in the seventeenth-century Palazzo Graneri della Roccia, and among its sumptuous rooms is not uncommon to meet world-famous pens: from here have passed writers such as Daniel Pennac and Don DeLillo.
The toret
It’s not really a place, but it’s still a particular institution in the city. The toret is a fountain that can only be found in Turin: from the characteristic bottle green color, the water flows from a sculpture in the shape of a bull, a tribute to the city and its symbol animal. The fountains are 160 years old, there are more than 800 in all of Turin - even if in the city it’s said that they’re nowhere to be found in times of need - and they can even be adopted.
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