Excursion tour in Turin. Top architecture - monuments, castles, temples and palaces

» The Palazzo Madama is a palace built at the site of an ancient Roman camp.
»  The exterior of the Palazzo Madama is quite intricate and ambiguous: its facade is an unusual example of the North Italian baroque style and its back side has the features of a gloomy medieval castle. It seems that it is two different buildings combined. This is why the building is unique in its type.
»  The facade of the Palazzo Madama was built by the project of architect Filippo Juvarra in 1721.
»  The famous round towers in the corners of the backside of the building were constructed in the 15th century.
»  The palace received its name at the time when it served as a residence of precentor's wives.
»  The purpose of the Palazzo Madama had been constantly changed. It served as a residence of the secondary branch of the House of Savoy, rooms for the monarch’s guests, a royal art gallery, the Piedmontese Parliament, and the Supreme Court.
»  The Palazzo Madama started to be used as intended only in 1934. At that time, the museum of ancient arts where a lot of Gandhara exhibits are kept was opened here.

» The Teatro Regio in Turin is one of the oldest opera houses in Italy.
»  It was ordered to construct the Teatro Regio in 1713 by Duke Vittorio Amedeo II of Savoy.
»  The famous architect Filippo Juvarra was the first to be invited to project and build a new opera house. However, he only managed to perform the first task. The Teatro Regio started to be built after Juvarra‘s death, in 1738.
»  Architect Benedetto Alfieri was invited to complete the construction.
»  The Teatro Regio was opened on 26 December 1740. At that time, the luxurious hall of the building accommodated 2 500 spectators.
»  The Emperor of France Napoleon visited the Teatro Regio three times.
»  The opera house had been closed in the period between 1792 and 1798.
»  In 1905, the Teatro Regio was reconstructed. During the reconstruction, the fourth and fifth tiers were demolished and the amphitheater was extended.
»  During the First World War, the theater was closed. It was opened again in 1919.
»  On the nights of 8 and 9 February 1936, the Teatro Regio was destroyed by a large fire. Only the facade was undamaged. The opera house had not been working for 40 years.

» The Basilica of Superga is located at the top of the namesake hill in Turin.
»  It is a Catholic basilica.
»  In 1706, the future King Sardinian King Victor Amadeus II and his cousin Eugene of Savoy climbed the hill of Superga to see the city besieged by French and Spanish forces. They promised to build a church at their observation point in the event of the successful outcome of the battle. The battle ended with a victory, so we can see this magnificent construction now.
»  The luxurious domed Basilica of Superga started to be built in 1717.
»  It was designed by the original project of Filippo Juvarra in the late Italian baroque style.
»  The Basilica of Superga is also the burial place of all Piedmontese kings. Victor Amadeus II was the first to be buried here.
»  The basilica is also associated with one of the most tragic events in the sports sector, the death of all players of the football team “Torino”. It happened on 3 May 1949 when sportsmen, managers of the club, and journalists flew back from Portugal after a friendly game. The left wing of the plane snagged the dome of the basilica and the aircraft crashed.

» The church of Gran Madre di Dio is the main church in Turin.
»  The church was built in 1818 to celebrate the return of King Victor Emmanuel I to the throne.
»  The Chiesa della Gran Madre di Dio gained its present form only in 1831.
»  To enter it, the citizens need to go up several steps. The plinth of the main staircase is decorated with sculptures that symbolize Faith and Religion. With its exterior, the construction encourages people to live by the covenants and honor God.
»  In front of the entrance to the Church of Gran Madre di Dio, there is a portico supported by 8 Corinthian columns. The construction was added in 1831 when the basilica was finished.
»  The exterior of the sacred building is designed in the Neoclassic style.
»  Near the church, there is a monument to King Victor Emmanuel I.
»  The church of Gran Madre di Dio is located on the right bank of the Po, in piazza Vittorio Veneto.

» The old Royal Church of Saint Lawrence was built in the late 4th century. The basilica was designed in the Renaissance style.
»  It belonged to the House of Medici and is the last refuge of the members of this famous family. At the beginning of the 15th century, the Florentine family decided to extend the church.
»  The Italian architect built a chapel near it. The entire complex is a square domed construction.
»  The vault is decorated with unique frescoes depicting the Sun, the Moon, and stars. Inside, there are a lot of plain columns of different sizes. There are also bronze stands constructed by Donatello.
»  The floor covering looks like a carpet depicting religious scenes. The walls and arches of Chiesa di San Lorenzo are painted with oval symbols and decorated with relief sculptures.
»  Michelangelo broke the rules of the placement of tombs and statues by placing sculptures along the walls.
»  The outer wall of the church has not been restored. At the church, services are still held.

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Facts: » The huge 8 Gallery Lingotto building is located in Turin. It was projected by an Italian architect in 1923.
»  The five-story building is half a kilometer long. On the outside, there are spiral pathways leading to the roof. The roof consists of curved modules with high-speed stained glass tracks for car tests.
»  The racing circuit is still exposed to the public view.
»  8 Gallery Lingotto-Torino was the first reinforced concrete construction. Here, you can see the motor assembly conveyor of Fiat, the biggest factory in Europe. It has modeled 80 different vehicles.
»  In 1980, the factory was officially closed. Nowadays, the complex includes shopping galleries (there are over 100 boutiques where you can buy items of famous brands’ old collections at a lower price), entertainment centers, a bookstore, an art museum, theatres, concert halls, conference halls, and an inn.
»  There is an eleven-hall cinema (UCI) with up-to-date equipment. You can also visit beauty salons, a solarium, and restaurants that offer the wide variety of cuisines.