Around 2,000 years ago Torino was a small village occupied by the Taurini people. Then it became a Roman city, chosen for its strategic position. After the fall of the Roman empire, the city suffered from a long period of decadence. Only with the era of the Savoys was Torino able to recover its importance. From the beginning of the fifteenth century it was the capital of the Duchy of Savoy for three centuries; and then the first capital of unified Italy, from 1861 to 1864.
Torino lies at the foot of a vast hill area, and in the vicinity of he Alps, the river Po, the longest river in Italy, running north-south along its full length. An aerial view shows Torino as a large chessboard with streets and boulevards forming perfect squares. The Mole Antonelliana, the hemblem, dominates the city from a height of 167 meters. The streets in the city center are covered by 18 kilometers of arcades, allowing pleasant walks even in inclement weather from Piazza Castello to the banks of the Po and to the Porta Nuova rail station and beyond. Torino is world famous for its automobile, chocolate, wine industries. On the northern and western horizon is a long and imposing mountain chain, including among others the Mont Blanc, the Monviso and the Matterhorn. One hour away from France and two hours from Switzerland, Torino is at the center of a vast alpine region offering world-famous ski resorts (Cervinia, Sauze d'Oulx, and Sestriere, among others) as well as varied forms of winter and summer recreation.
Among the most interesting museums are the Museo D'Arte Contemporanea at the Castello di Rivoli, the Museo Egizio, the Galleria d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea and the Museo Nazionale del Risorgimento Italiano and Italy's National Film Museum, located at the Mole Antonelliana. A number of royal palaces and residences are also worth visiting, among which are Palazzo Reale and Palazzo Madama, the Mandria estate as well as the castles of Moncalieri, Racconigi, Stupinigi and Aglič, all located on the outskirts of the city.
Throughout the year, Torino hosts international exhibitions and fairs, among which the most important are:
The "Teatro Regio" offers a very rich opera season, September to May. Classical music, drama, premier league soccer, over 50 movie theaters provide leisure opportunities.
Even if Piedmont has a continental climate, the alpine shield ensures mild winters and pleasant summers. From this point of view, Piedmont is a pleasant travel destination at any time of the year. You can find accurate local forecasts at nimbus web-site .
You can find a lot of information at Torino's tourist office web-site or you can contact the tourist office at this email or when in Torino at Torino's tourist offices:
For furher www info on Torino, see also Torino's town council web site. Another useful link is
Banks are open from Monday to Friday. Opening hours are approx. from 8.30 am to 1.15 pm and from 2.45 pm to 4.00 pm
Torino has two main rail stations: Porta Nuova and Porta Susa ( TRAIN INFO ). Both are located in the city center not very far from each other. They both assure daily (and hourly) national and international connections. Both stations are linked to Caselle airport by a bus service, which runs every half-hour (main terminal at the corner of Corso Vittorio Emanuele II and Via Sacchi).
Piedmont's main airport is located at Caselle , some 15 Km NW of Torino. Most European airlines fly into Torino. Taxi ( 25.00 euros to anywhere in town) and train/bus services ( 3.50 euros, running every half-hour) will connect you to Porta Nuova and Porta Susa train stations. There is also a regular train service linking Caselle airport to the city centre (Stazione Dora).
Buses for many national and international destinations leave from and arrive in Torino, at the corner of Corso Vittorio Emanuele II and Corso Inghilterra. Information: SADEM, tel. 011.311.1616
In Torino, local transportation connects all parts of the city. You must buy a ticket (? 0.70) from a tobacconist or newsagent before getting on the bus or tram. Season tickets are also available, as well as students passes. Information is available from the information booth located in the main hall of Porta Nuova rail station.