Turin Sights

  1. Armeria Reale

    The entrance to the Savoy Armeria Reale is under the porticoes just right of the Palazzo Reale gates and safeguards one of Europe's best collection of arms.

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  2. Basilica di Superga

    In 1706 Vittorio Amedeo II promised to build a basilica to honour the Virgin Mary if Turin was saved from the besieging French and Spanish armies. The city was indeed saved, and architect Filippo Juvarra built the church on a hill across the Po river. Basilica di Superga became the final resting place of the Savoys, whose lavish tombs make for interesting viewing, as does the dome here.

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  3. Bell Tower

    The Romanesque bell tower, which stands alone to the left of the cathedral, was designed by Juvarra and built in 1723.

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  4. Castello di Rivoli

    A worthwhile trip further afield is the star of Turin's contemporary art scene, the 17th-century Castello di Rivoli. It's a striking contrast to the contemporary art housed inside at the Museo d'Arte Contemporanea. Works by Franz Ackermann, Gilbert and George, and Frank Gehry would have been beyond the wildest imagination of the Savoy family, who resided at this site from the 14th century onwards.

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  5. Chiesa della Gran Madre di Dio

    This church was built between 1818 and 1831 to commemorate the return of Vittorio Emanuele I from exile. The steps leading up to the church were the ones Michael Caine famously careered down in the cult film, The Italian Job , while some mystics would have you believe that the Holy Grail is actually buried under the church. Its interior is closed to the public.

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  7. Chiesa di San Lorenzo

    In the northwestern corner of the Piazzo Castello square is the baroque Chiesa di San Lorenzo, designed by Guarino Guarini. The church's richly complex interior compensates for the spare façade.

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  8. Duomo Di San Cathedral

    Turin's Duomo Di San Cathedral, built between 1491 and 1498 on the site of three 14th-century basilicas, is the home of the famous Shroud of Turin. A copy of the cloth is on permanent display in front of the cathedral altar. Just to the north lies the remains of a 1st-century Roman amphitheatre, while a little further to the northwest lies Porta Palatina, the red-brick remains of a Roman-era gate.

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  9. Duomo di San Giovanni

    Built between 1491 and 1498 on the site of three 14th-century basilicas, Turin's cathedral is the city's only remaining example of Renaissance architecture. It also happens to be home to Christendom's most controversial cloth - the Holy Shroud of Turin, a copy of which is on permanent display in front of the cathedral altar.

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  10. Galleria Civica d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea

    The Galleria Civica d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea is dedicated to 19th- and 20th-century artists, including De Chirico, Otto Dix and Klee.

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  11. Galleria Sabauda

    The Galleria Sabauda contains the Savoy family's incredible collection of art, which includes works by Van Dyck, Rembrandt, Poussin, Tintoretto and Jan Brueghel.

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  13. Giardino Reale

    The Giardino Reale, east of the Palazzo Reale, was designed in 1697 by André le Nôtre, who also created the gardens at Versailles.

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  14. Lingotto Fiere

    Around 3km south of the city centre is the Lingotto Fiere, Turin's former Fiat factory, which was redesigned by architect Renzo Piano into a congress and exhibition centre.

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  15. Mole Antonelliana

    The symbol of Turin is the Mole Antonelliana. This 167m tower, with its distinctive aluminium spire, appears on the Italian two-cent coin. It was originally intended as a synagogue when construction began in 1862, but was never used as a place of worship.

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  16. Museo Civico d'Arte Antica

    The Museo Civico d'Arte Antica contains a sumptuous collection of works that document the city's artistic movements post-Italian unification.

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  17. Museo d'Antichità

    The Museo d'Antichità displays antiquities amassed by the Savoy dynasty, including Etruscan urns, Roman bronzes and Greek vases, alongside assorted locally excavated archaeological finds.

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  19. Museo dell'Automobile

    For modern art with a metallic sheen, head for the Museo dell'Automobile. Among its 400 masterpieces are one of the first FIATs and the Isotta Franchini driven by Gloria Swanson in the film Sunset Boulevard . It's a rev-head's paradise.

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  20. Museo della Sindone

    Shroud fiends will go gaga over the Museo della Sindone; however, despite its informative displays and unexpected 'shroud' paraphernalia - such as the first camera used to photograph the cloth (1898), and test tubes used to store traces of human blood removed from the shroud in 1978 - the museum does little to unravel the mystery of the Holy Shroud. Guided tours are in Italian only; ask for an English-language audioguide, which is free.

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  21. Museo Egizio

    The Palazzo dell'Accademia delle Scienze is home to the Museo Egizio. Established in the late 18th-century, it's considered to have one of the best collections of ancient Egyptian art, second only to those in London and Cairo.

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  22. Museo Nazionale del Cinema

    In 2000, the Mole Antonelliana tower became home to the multifloored Museo Nazionale del Cinema, which takes you on a fantastic tour through cinematic history - from the earliest magic lanterns, stereoscopes and other optical toys to the present day. Movie memorabilia on display includes Marilyn Monroe's black lace bustier, Peter O'Toole's robe from Lawrence of Arabia and the coffin used by Bela Lugosi's Dracula .

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  23. Museo Nazionale del Risorgimento Italiano

    Baroque Palazzo Carignano was the birthplace of Carlo Alberto and Vittorio Emanuele II, and the seat of united Italy's first parliament from 1861 to 1864. You can normally see the parliament as part of the Museo Nazionale del Risorgimento Italiano, though the museum was closed for renovations at time of writing, and was due to reopen at the end of 2008.

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  25. Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali

    Your average menagerie of stuffed animals (brown bears and so on) is on show at the Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali, but what sets this natural science museum apart is its setting: a monumental 17th-century hospital with four inner courtyards and a chapel.

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  26. Palazzo Bricherasio

    Temporary exhibitions are held in Palazzo Bricherasio. The gallery, in a 17th-century palace, has hosted surrealist Dalì and been 'wrapped' by Christo and Jeanne-Claude in its time.

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  27. Palazzo dell'Accademia delle Scienze

    The immense Palazzo dell'Accademia delle Scienze houses two outstanding museums: the 18th-century-established Museo Egizio and the Galleria Sabauda. A combination ticket for both museums costs around €8 for adults (free for children).

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  28. Palazzo Madama

    Piazza Castello is dominated by Palazzo Madama, a part-medieval, part-baroque castle built in the 13th century on the site of the old Roman gate. It was named after Madama Reale Maria Cristina, the widow of Vittorio Amedeo I, who lived here in the 17th century.

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  29. Palazzo Reale

    Statues of the mythical twins Castor and Pollux guard the entrance to the Palazzo Reale, and according to local legend, also watch over the border between the sacred ('white magic') and diabolical ('black magic') halves of the city. Built for Carlo Emanuele II around 1646, its lavishly decorated rooms house an assortment of furnishings, porcelain and other knick-knacks.

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