Culture of Turin. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums 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 Palazzo Carignano is a Turkish residence of the Carignano branch of the House of Savoy.
»  The Palazzo Carignano is famous for its luxurious concavo-convex facade constructed by architect Francesco Borromini.
»  The palace was built in 1679 by the project of priest Guarino Guarini.
»  The fanciful curved main staircase and the double dome above the main entrance are some of the boldest and most constructive features of the construction.
»  The Palazzo Carignano is designed in the style of Italian baroque.
»  In 1820, the first King of Italy, Victor Emmanuel II was born in the Palazzo Carignano. In honor of this important event, the Museum of the Risorgimento was opened in 1938 in the palace.
»  Like other residences of the House of Savoy, the Palazzo Carignano is under the protection of UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
»  The palace has two absolutely different facades. One of them that is unplastered and made of bricks faces Piazza Carignano. The other faces Piazza Carlo Alberto.
»  Today, the Palazzo Carignano has 27 halls of the National Museum of the Risorgimento.

» Turin Cathedral is one of the main religious sites in the country. It is also known as the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist.
»  Turin Cathedral was built in the period between 1491 and 1498.
»  The famous Chapel of the Holy Shroud was added to the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in 1668-1694.
»  In the chapel of Turin Cathedral, tourists can always see the replica of the shroud.
»  The original shroud where Christ’s face and body was reflected is displayed in Turin Cathedral once a quarter of a century.
»  The Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist is a bulwark of Catholicism.
»  According to the architect’s idea, Turin Cathedral was built in the Renaissance style.
»  The whitewashed facade and strict and clear lines of the cathedral are so ascetic and make the construction highly religious.
»  Turin Cathedral is the only preserved building in the Renaissance style in the city.

» 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 Palatine Gate that is also known as Porta Palatina is one of the most well-preserved ancient Roman gates in the world. It was designed and built in the 1st century BC.
»  The Palatine Gate was completely built of durable bricks.
»  The Porta Palatine was constructed on a square foundation, which makes the gate lasting and stable.
»  Two corner towers of the Palatine Gate are almost 30 m high. They are distinguished by 16 side edges.
»  The central body of the construction is the interturrio. The gate is 20 m high and has two rows of windows. The lower row consists of arched windows and the upper one –of spandrel windows.
»  The Palantine Gate has four entrances. The central one is used by vehicles and side entrances - pedestrians.
»  Not far from the Porta Palatina, there is well-preserved part of a guard box built in the times of the Roman Empire. Today, you can see only its foundation.
»  After the collapse of the Roman Empire, the Palatine Gate served as a fortified palace.