Oglianico
Hi everyone! Today I want to talk to you about Turin, an Italian city located in the Piedmont region and the capital of the Metropolitan City of Turin. With its 842,472 inhabitants (as of October 31, 2022), Turin is the fourth largest municipality in Italy by population and is the center of a metropolitan area with around 1.7 million people. It is a city rich in history and tourist attractions, as well as one of the major academic, cultural, artistic, and scientific centers in Italy.
Physical Geography
Territory
The city of Turin is located in the plain delimited by the Stura di Lanzo, Sangone and Po rivers, which cross the city from south to north. There are also some nearby Alpine valleys such as the Susa Valley, the Lanzo Valleys and the Sangone Valley. The valleys allow for easy access to the nearby Alps via the Frejus tunnels that connect the city with France.
History
Turin has a two-thousand-year history. The city was founded around the 3rd century BC by the Taurini and then transformed into a Roman colony by Augustus in the 1st century BC. After the Ostrogothic domination, it was the capital of an important Duchy of Turin and then fell under the nominal rule of the House of Savoy. In 1563 it became the capital of the Duchy of Savoy. From 1720 it was the capital of the Kingdom of Sardinia, a state that in the 19th century would lead to the Risorgimento and that made Turin the first Capital (city) of the Kingdom of Italy (1861-1946).
Tourist Attractions
Turin is a city rich in tourist attractions. In the territory of Turin, there are areas and buildings included in two properties protected by UNESCO, including some palaces and areas belonging to the circuit of the Sabaudian residences in Piedmont (World Heritage Site), and the area of the hills of the Po (Biosphere Reserve).
There are also numerous museums, such as the famous Egyptian Museum, which houses the second-largest collection of Egyptian artifacts in the world, and the National Museum of Cinema, housed in the Mole Antonelliana, a symbol of the city. Turin also has a beautiful historic center with numerous churches, squares, and historical buildings.
Economy
Turin is one of the main centers of Italian industry. It is the birthplace of the Italian automotive industry and home to major companies such as FIAT, Alfa Romeo, and Lancia. Turin is also an important center for publishing, banking and insurance, information technology, film, food and wine, the space industry, industrial design, sports, fashion, and artificial intelligence.
Events
Turin hosts numerous international events every year. In 2006, it hosted the XX Winter Olympics, and since 2021, it has been hosting the ATP Finals. In 2022, it hosted the Eurovision Song Contest. Turin is also famous for its Carnival, which attracts tourists from all over the world every year.
Global City
Thanks to its growing international importance, Turin has achieved the status of a global city in the "Gamma" category. It is the third Italian city in this category, after Milan and Rome.
In conclusion, Turin is a wonderful city that offers many tourist attractions, has a long and interesting history, is an important industrial center, and hosts numerous international events. I hope these words have made you want to visit Turin!
