Italy's Beauty There is so much beauty for which art lovers and people like you and me turn to Italy for the models, that we sometimes loose sight of the universality of Italian artistic production. There is scarcely a department of art work in which Italy did not excel the world in history.

Turin

The city of Turin is found in the Northwest region of Italy. It has about a million inhabitants according to the 2009 census. Turin is a great tourist attraction mainly because of its parks, churches, palaces, opera houses, restaurants, theatres, libraries, art galleries, atmosphere, shops, grand boulevards and culture. The city is in a strategic setting, a few kilometers from the Mediterranean and the French border, and has a river flowing through it, the Po River. Overlooking the city are the genteel hills while off the distance, it is surrounded by Italian Alps, geographical features that have made it to be termed as ‘the city with the most beautiful natural location.’ The climate is a humid subtropical one, with cold winters and mild summers. Turin city is also important in its technology and industry with the automobile company FIAT being based there - FIAT being the initials of Fabbrica Italiana di Automobili Torino (Turin Italian Car Factory).

Tourist Attractions and Beauty

Architecture

The main architectural touristic attractions in Turin include baroque palaces, churches, street grid, and network of arcades, coffee shops and museums that are world-renowned. For example the building that is considered Turin’s landmark is Mole Antonelliana, which was completed in 1888 as a synagogue. This building contains the National Cinema Museum that now symbolizes Turin, and stands at 167 meters high. Other pieces of architecture that are beautiful and attractive are the Palatine Towers, the Turin Cathedral and the Consolata. There are many palaces, castles and residences in the city some of which date back to the 17th Century.

Palaces are also a major attraction in Turin. These depict a great part of Italian History dating back to the 19th Century. For example Palazzo Carignano was used as the first Italian parliament and it currently seat the National museum of Risorgimento. Other palaces that are of interest to visit are; Palazzo Madama, Palazzo Reale and Palazzo del Senato.

Other places are libraries and museums such as the Egyptian Museum of Turin known for archaeology and anthropology. The churches in Turin are a clear indication of history of Christianity in the region. Famous temples are symbol in the city and beautiful places to visit. Churches in Turin include the Cathedral of St. Giovanni, Church of St. Lorenzo and Church of St. Teresa among others.

Another attraction is the many modern bars and nightclubs near the River Po. These pride themselves of expansive cocktails, classic drinks, good menu and lovely ambience. Some of the bars include; Vinicola al Sorij, Zonk, caffe Rossini, Birrificio Torino and Caffe dell’Orologio. The hotels are also classic and safe to be in. They provide facilities for different kinds of budget, for example Hostel International Torino, hotel Artua’and Solferino and Relais Villa Matilde.

The architectural road system of Turin is inherited from ancient Romans. It has avenues and streets that are geometrically arranged to help visitors move around easily.

Parks and gardens

Among the beautiful places in Turin City are the gardens, villas and parks. The Parco Del Valentino is the most popular park which in the past has hosted an international exhibition hosting 19 countries. It is situated along the left bank of the River Po. Others are the Parco della Pellerina, the Rignon Park, the university botanical gardens and the Parco Della Colletta. The city is surrounded by residences such as the Royal Palace and Carignano Palace. Tourists and inhabitants find joy taking trips and relaxing in parks in close proximity to the Alps, for example the Gran Paradiso National Park. During winter time, the Alps offer a number of ski resorts which are cheap.

Arts in Turin

Turin city is rich in both visual arts and performing arts. The city prides itself as being the first Italian city to establish film chromatography, hence the birthplace of Italian cinema. It hosts a film festival known as Torino Film Festival. The city also holds various art fairs where different forms of art are displayed, ranging from sculptures, paintings and drawings, for example the Artissima fair. Art galleries are located in the heart of Turin City, with unique paintings and photography not found elsewhere. Some of the famous galleries include; Ai Tre Torchi, Atelier BiBi, Galleria Accademia and Galleria Aversa among others. Theatres in Turin can satisfy all tastes, they range from operas and dance performances and light theatre. One of the big theatres in Turin is Teatro Stabile di Torino. Others are Teatro Carignano, Teatro Gobetti and Cavallerizza Reale.