Towards the river: Parco del Valentino and Museo dell'Automobile
From Via Roma down, towards the river, lead to the dilapidated arcades of Via Po and end just before the bridge on a huge, also surrounded by arcades Piazza Vittorio Veneto. To Mole Antonelliana, the most characteristic object in the city, you have to turn halfway into Via Montebello. The building has a dome in the shape of a bishop's tiara, and on it a mini-Greek temple with a spire similar to a pagoda. It was designed in the 19th century as a synagogue by the eccentric architect Antonelli, who also bestowed a similar work on Novara. Today it has become practically useless: Jews use the newer for cult purposes, an oriental-style synagogue in the area of Via Nizza and only occasionally holds exhibitions. However, the building is open to tourists, who want to see the city from its top (codz. 9.00-19.00, closed. pn.; 3000 L).
From Piazza Vittorio Veneto you come along the river to the Parco del Valcntino. It is most often visited at night, because here are the best Turin night clubs, but it's also enjoyable during the day, a place away from the hustle and bustle. Winding alleys, symmetrical flower beds and artificial mounds take up an area in total 500 thousand m2, which makes this park the largest in Italy. There are also two castles, but only one of them is genuine. The richly decorated Castello del Valentino was once one of the many seats of the Savoyard family, which was used mainly for wedding feasts and extravagant parties. Now it houses the university's architecture department. Natomiast Borgo and Medieval Castle (Tue-Sun. 9.00-18.00; 2500 L), built for an industrial exhibition, which took place here in a year 1884. This building was erected using original materials and construction techniques, used in the construction of the best palaces and castles of medieval Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta (the architecture was modeled on the castles of Fenis and Verres, and the frescoes are reproductions of the frescoes from Manta (See. below under Saluzzo). You can get angry at the "Americanness" of the entire project, but you can actually feel a bit like in Disneyland, the 15th century way of life is much more faithful here than in many authentic castles. The carefully recreated Gothic furniture also draws attention.
The Museo dell'Automobile is quite a distance from the park, the only car museum in Italy (Tue-Sun. 9.00-12.30 and 15.00-19.00; 4000 L; bus # 34 z Via Nizza). It may even interest those, who don't know much about these vehicles. Because it is an attempt to recreate the history of cars, from the earliest, constructed only on order of interesting new inventions of the rich, for the latest, already mass-produced, There are models here that have not been seen on the streets for a long time and are now known only from movies. One of the first Fiats was exhibited here, a fairly large model from the year 1899. There is also a much more elegant version built two years later. You can also see dating from the years 30. the first little one, intended for families with children, Fiat, which was used even in years 60.
You can also admire the refined Isotta Franchini, who in the film Sunset Boulevard was hosted by Gloria Swansoni. The initials norm Desmond are still visible on the side of the vehicle, which the actress then played. Pride of the museum, hall, who won the Beijing-Paris rally in the year 1907, is currently being prepared for a restart, and about adventures, which made her famous can be read in Luigi Barzini's book From Beijing to Paris.