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Never heard of Turin? Well, despite not being a major tourist destination in Italy, there are a ton of interesting facts about Turin, Italy to share.
Turin is a city in northern Italy, well known for its architecture, art, and history. The city is home to the famous Mole Antonelliana, one of the oldest structures in the world. Turin has been a center of culture and commerce since ancient times, and its landmarks—the Palazzo Reale, the Cathedral of Turin, and the Royal Palace of Caserta—are some of the most renowned in the world.
Today, it is also a major center for scientific research and education. It has an extensive library system, as well as many universities and colleges. Turin is home to the National Institute of Nuclear Physics, one of the world’s foremost laboratories devoted to nuclear physics.
Want to learn more about Turin? Keep reading.
Interesting Facts about Turin, Italy
- Turin had the honor of hosting the Olympic games in 2006. The games were in the winter and Germany dominated. The games brought new light to the city who took the opportunity to overhaul its metro system.
2. The city was heavily damaged in World War 2 by air raids due to it being an industrial hub in Italy. A lot of vehicles were made here to support the Italian military and this made Turin a place of interest to attack for the opposition.
3. The city of Turin was originally called Taurisia when it was first founded by a group of people named the Taurini. It was then destroyed in 218BC by Hannibal of Cathage during the Second Punic War.
After its destruction by Hannibal, a miltary colony was later formed in its place, and Augustus the emperor, rebuilt the city.
4. Did you know the drink vermouth was created in Turin in 1786 by Antonio Benedetto Carpano? Still to this day, the city manufactures the drink for vermouth lovers around the world.
5. The population of Turin is around 840,000 (2022), and it is the fourth largest city in Italy.
6. The royal palace in Turin, Royal House of Savoy, has been recognised by UNESCO and was given world heritage status. Unsurprisingly, it is one of the must sees when you visit the city. The palace also includes an armoury which has one of the better collections in Europe.
7. The most successful Italian soccer team is located in Turin, with a total of 67 international and national title wins, including 35 Italian Serie A wins. The team’s name is Juventus and is famous throughout Italy.
8. The first ever car factory for the Fiat company was opened in Turin in July 1899. Back then it was known as Società Anonima Fabbrica Italiana di Automobili. Lancia and Alfa Romeo also have head quarters in Turin.
9. Turin is found the west banks of the Po River. The other river that call the city home is the Dora River.
10. Turin is named after an animal in Italian, Torino, meaning young bull.
11. Surprisingly we have Turin to also thank for long form cinema (1.5 hours +). The movie Cabiria was played in Turin in 1914 and was later watched in other parts of the world.
12. Turin is the capital city of the Piedmont area. The city is known for its baroque architecture and its food, and is the second largest area in Italy, spreading across 25402kms (squared). Renaissance architecture is not as frequent here.
13. Turin was ahead of Switzerland in the chocolate game when it came to making hard chocolate. Hard chocolate as we know it today was made here in Turin around 1560, being produced before Italy’s chocolate famous neighbour became more well known for it.
14. The city’s university, the University of Torin, opened in 1404. Can you imagine how amazing it would be to attend a university that had been around for over half a millennium?
15. One of the rarest foods in the world comes from the Piedmont area Turin is set in. The white truffle can be found in this region.
16. The famous movie ‘The Italian Job’ was actually filmed in Turin, but only the original version in 1968. The newer version was filmed in a mix of LA and Venice.
17. In 1861 when the country Italy was officially formed, Turin was chosen as the capital. However in 1865, Florence took over the title.
18. The city has been occupied by different groups and countries at different times, including the French, Duchy of Savoy, the Frankish empire, Lombard Kingdom and the barbarians.
19. One of Turin’s most famous buildings, the Mole Antonelliana, began its construction in 1863 and was officially built by 1889. The tower was named after its creator Alessandro Antonelli and is recognised as one of the tallest museums in the world (Museo Nazionale del Cinema). The museum chronicles the history of cinema and television as well as housing some film objects and sets.
20. Speaking of museums, the Museo Egizio (Museum of Egypt), is home to one of the most significant collections of Egyptian artefacts outside of Egypt. The museum was opened in 1824 and houses well preserved statues (such as the Ramses II) and other artefacts.
21. Italy’s royal family, the House of Savoy, lived in Turin for many years. Today there are a palaces and other buildings in Turin and the nearby towns that were built or housed them during their reign here.
22. Turin is the 10th most popular city in Italy for visitors, and has been named in the top 250 cities to visit world wide. Although as its less known to international travelers outside of Europe, visiting the city is much more pleasant and less crowded than cities like Rome and Venice.
23. The Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist houses the mysterious ‘shroud of Jesus of Nazareth’. However you can’t, for the most part, see the actual fabric itself. The shroud was found by the knight, Geoffroi de Charny, in France around 1350.
If you’re not familiar with what the shroud is, its believed to be a linen cloth that was draped over Jesus after his crucifixion. The shroud has an image of a body on it, proclaimed to be jesus, and the item was protected by the Savoy family in Turin for four centuries. In 1983 its protection was transfered to the Pope.
There has been some controversy around the shroud, with some tests dating its creation as 1000 years after jesus’s time, but the church has not supported or denied these claims. Regardless if it covered Jesus or not, the shroud is a n important piece of religious history.
As you can see there’s a lot more to Turin then meets the eye. The city may not be high on the bucketlist for most international travelers, or well known outside of Italy, but its a great city with a lot of history.
More Articles on Turin
You can find our other Turin posts here.