Torino Spotlight
Italy's First Capital
As the first capital of unified Italy, when the Kingdom of Italy was founded in 1861, Torino was the city of kings. Reminders are visible all over the city – the Palazzos, the large, majestic boulevards, arcaded shopping streets, and La Venaria, Torino’s equivalent of Versailles.
Museums and Egyptian Antiquities
Torino hosts valuable historic pieces and religious relics, including the famous Holy Shroud of Turin, as well as Leonardo da Vinci’s self-portrait and his Codex on the Flight of Birds. The Egyptian Museum, the world's second largest collection outside Cairo, holds the most complete collection of Egyptian ‘death books’ in the world.
Chocolate Capital of Italy
Torino has a long tradition of chocolate making. Treats created here include the gianduja paste (the origin of Nutella), gianduiotti, and bicerin, a favorite drink among the aristocracy, made of espresso, chocolate, and whipped cream. In fall, the annual 10-day chocolate festival, CioccolaTo, is a rendezvous for chocoholics from around the world.
Cinema Center
Italian cinema was born in Torino in the early 1900s, and film lovers will enjoy the Torino Film Festival and the National Cinema Museum of Torino.