Turin (Torino)
"Do you know Turin?", he once asked Nietzsche and continued.: "This is my beloved city (…) full of seventeenth-century palaces. The taste of the court and the nobles gives character to everything here, aristocratic calm permeates the atmosphere and there are no run-down suburbs here." Today, the streets of TURIN full of cars are no longer quiet and peaceful., and the suburbs became as unpleasant as in other Italian cities, but elegant baroque avenues, lofty palaces, rich churches and magnificent collections of Egyptian antiquities and Northern European paintings remain here. This is a pleasant surprise for those, who expect only smoking chimneys, factories and not much else.
The creation of the Turin suburbs was mainly caused by the Fiat concern (Fabbrica Italiami di Automobili Torino), whose owner, Gianni Agnelli, is considered the most influential man in Italy. The most visible sign of Agnelli's power is the number of Fiats, which crowd the streets of Turin and other Italian cities. However, this is not a complete picture, as the company also owns lancia and Alfa Romeo plants, and in total is subordinate to him 60% turnover of the Italian car market. In addition, there are less conspicuous elements of Agnelli's empire: deciding on Cinzano in any of the nineteenth-century cafes in the city center, the vermouth produced by Agnelli is bought, and reading one of the three main newspapers, La Stampa, Corriere della Sera, or La Repubblica, the company is also supported. The above titles are in the possession of, under the control or management of the Agnelli family. What's more, Agnelli owns Juventus football club, and his grandfather built a chain of hotels, used by amateurs of ski holidays Club Med (e.g.. in nearby Sestriere). The family also has serious shares in international arms companies.. In the 80's during the Iraq-Iran war, one of these companies supplied weapons and Iraq, and Iran. Such a concentration of real power is a typical Italian phenomenon.. Agnelli and his circle of collaborators are considered to be a stabilizing force for the political system., because governments in Italy change very often. Governments of other countries often take Agnelli more seriously than the democratically elected leaders of Italy. Henry Kissinger, for example, said in the year 1988, that Gianni Agnelli is an "institution" in Italy. Terrorists also know well, where are the sources of power in Italy. The Red Brigades were born in the Fiat factory halls, and terrorist attacks threaten politicians equally, as to the officials of the management board of this concern.
From the history of the city
Turinians are used to absolutism. For a year 1574 Turin was the seat of the Dukes of Savoy, who persecuted Piedmontese Protestants and Jews, they censored the press and entrusted the education system to rather one-sided Jesuits. The House of Savoy obtained the royal title in the year 1713, and a few years later it conquered Sardinia. These successes encouraged her to continue her conquests.. One of the representatives of this dynasty promised to "eat Italy like artichokes." Achieving the goal was facilitated by the Savoy dynasty by the already mentioned liberal activist of the Risorgimento movement., Ca-vour, which in turn needed the authority of the royal family to support the unification movement. In the year 1860 Garibaldi handed over Sicily and southern Italy to Victor Emmanuel, and even though the "artichoke center" was yet to be seized 10 years, Victor Emmanuel II was proclaimed King of Italy.
In the year 1870 the capital was moved to Rome, leaving Turin in the hands of the Piedmontese aristocracy. Counting 200 thousands of inhabitants (of which 1/10 were servants) the city had a center decorated according to the tastes of the time. Decorated with chandeliers, carved wood, Thuringian cafes were only slightly less impressive than the chambers in the palaces of the Dukes of Savoy.
Paradoxically, the First World War brought a decline in unemployment., but also inevitable food shortages. In the year 1917 they caused street riots, which spread throughout the North, contributing to the establishment of Turin's position as the main centre of trade union activity. The Fiat factory sit-in strike was then led by Gramsci., later founder of the Italian Communist Party.
In years 50. the population of Turin has already increased to 700 Thousand, mainly due to the immigration of workers from the poor South. Due to peasant origin, they were treated with universal contempt and placed in suburban slums. Over time, a rather gloomy Mirafiori housing estate consisting of apartment blocks was built for them.. In years 60. Fiat was already employing 130 thousands of employees, and further 500 thousands were in one way or another dependent on the company. So no wonder, that the Fiatville label stuck to the city.
Porta Nuova, Turin Central Station, located on Corso Vittorio Emanuele, not far from the beginning of Via Roma, running to the center and abounding in hotels. Some trains also stop at Porta Susa Station, west of the centre, at Corso Inghilterra. From there it is close to the main bus station, also located at Corso V. Emanuele. Turin Airport, Caselle, Lies 15 kilometers north of the city and is connected to the main bus station by a regular bus line (getting there 45 Minutes).
There are two EPT tourist offices in the city. Its head office is located in Piazza San Carlo, and a branch at the main railway station. In both offices you can buy maps, hotel lists and various advertising brochures .
In Turin, most of the places of interest to tourists are within walking distance of Porta Nuova, but if someone is in a hurry, a network of buses and trams allows you to move quickly and efficiently around the city.
Many of Turin's cheap hotels are located in the rather gloomy area of Via Nizza. They are located in the comfortable vicinity of clubs, restaurant and Porta Nuova station, but lonely tourists should not go there, because it is a district of brothels. Slightly safer are the streets opposite Porta Nuova, near Piazza Carlo Felice, although, with one exception, hotel prices are higher here. A number of budget hotels are also located west of Piazza Castello. You have to remember, that the demand for hotel rooms in Turin is high and it is better to book accommodation in advance.