TORINO and
Genova May 2014
Approaching Turin, showing the serpentine river and the geometrical blocks of buildings in a grid
Acknowledgements: participants Credit:
The 4-day tour: visiting Torino and the harbour region of Genova
◆◆◆ E. V. Borg: tour leader L. Zahra: organization and co-ordination M. Attard: photography E. V. Borg & M. Attard: layout & design
◆◆◆ Front Cover: ‘Valour’ a bronze monumental statue decorating Umberto I bridge that leads to Corso Vittorio Emanuele II Back Cover: Via XX Settembre with a high arcaded gothic loggia with a rich highly polished mosaic floor
Carmen Aquilina Mary Attard Monica Bonello Ghio E.V. Borg Frank Borg Dolores Camilleri Wozna Peter Camilleri Wozna David Cassar Grace Cassar Jane Frendo Victoria Lyttleton Michael Vella Terry Vella Lucienne Zahra Stanley Zammit
TORINO
Genova BRESCIA &
and
May 2014
Text by E V Borg Photography and design by Mary Attard
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A Cultural Tour: Torino & Genova led by E. V. Borg Historian and Art Critic 20 – 24 MAY 2014 In Memoriam: Dedication – Terry Vella (died 11. 10. 2014)
Piazza Vittorio Veneto, Torino
Via Roma with arcades, Torino
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TORINO – GENOVA A COMPARISON & CONTRAST What a contrast and what a surprise as for most of us it was the first time we visited Torino and Genova: the former a royal city and the latter a port hub. The streets of Torino, in a grid system, both in the ‘centro storico’ and outside it, is geometrically planned, logical and reasoned as befits a city of monarchs while the ‘centro storico’ of Genova is medieval with narrow curving streets, human in proportion that afford shade, tranquillity, serenity and peace though busy with throngs of people buying goods from small shops and market stalls. Yet the upper part of Genova is similar to Torino, planned, partly Renaissance with a Venetian flair in its palazzi and partly Neo-Classical, Art Nouveau and modern with sumptuous fountains. What a contrast! Personally I fell in love with the old medieval core of Genova as the maze of streets makes it so human and habitable. Inevitably, to access this old part from the port side one has to traverse a wide road passing under an ugly concrete flyover. The large port of Genoa gives it character as it turns it into a hub for large liners, ships, yachts and small craft. The port was renovated by Renzo Piano who has stamped the site with his controversial architecture.
The Colombus celebration of 1992 contributed to its current dynamism leading to the city’s status being raised to European City of Culture in 2004. Torino in ancient times was inhabited by a tribe: the Taurini, a name the Romans transformed into Augusta Taurinorum, hence Torino. Genoa was also originally Roman as part of the ruined Roman wall, still extant, bears witness. But such ruins surely do not compete with the Turin Porta Palatina in Piazza Cesare Augusto that lies within the archaeological site in the Piazza del Duomo that includes parts of the Roman wall, original paving and a recently excavated Roman theatre. Though Genova boasts of Porta Soprana, a gate built in the medieval walls of the city but presently free-standing with two high conical towers guarding it. This old part of Genova struck us and left us wondering what wealth awaited us in the centre. We marvelled at San Pietro in Banchi with a lovely frescoed façade built on shops at ground level and an elegant terrace in front of an arched loggia. In Piazza Banchi lies the Loggia dei Mercanti as traditionally the site was used by money-lenders. In Via Sottoripa, an arcaded loggia with food shops in front of the port is Palazzo San Giorgio where traditionally Marco Polo was imprisoned in 1298 and met Rustichiello, a writer from Pisa who eventually wrote Il Milione (The Travels). Nearby is Palazzo Spinola housing the Galleria Nazionale. Genova was a maritime republic, rival to Venice, Pisa and Amalfi. Finally Venice dominated it completely and left its indelible mark.
Porta Palatina in Piazza Cesare Augusto, Torino
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Torino possesses large parks and gardens with at least six sumptuous palaces built by the Savoy family nestling in green swaths of thick vegetation. We managed to visit La Venaria Reale with its reggia and giardini and Stupinigi in a day. This tour was possibly the crowing of our holiday. Presently both are improvised into wonderful museums. In the former we saw a vast fountain with numerous jets of water synchronized to classical music. In the latter we enjoyed its internal Rococo architecture, a palace dominated at its apex by a bronze gilded stag on its roof. Yet the thrill was still to come as finally we took a trip on a steamer on the tributary of the river Po snaking its way under monumental bridges and through the city with the Parco del Valentino on one bank and on the opposite the Monte dei Cappucini. In the former lies snugly the Rocca (castle) and Borgo Medioevale, a reproduction, true, but really idyllic.
Both cities abound in extravagant palaces and rich museums. Genova is renowned for its Palazzo Reale while Torino is famous for its Egyptian Museum, considered second only to that in Cairo and the largest north of Rome. Both cities are endowed with great cathedrals: San Lorenzo in Genova and the Duomo and the Sacra Sindone and next to them, the large church of San Lorenzo by Guarini in Torino. Each city has splendid and theatrical squares. In Torino we took a cup of coffee in piazza San Carlo and nearby admired Palazzo Caringiano designed by Guarino Guarini in swinging baroque, Borromini style which houses the Museo del Risorgimento. This edifice is the birthplace of monarchs: Vittorio Emmanuele II and Carlo Alberto. Palazzo Reale in Genova became a UNESO World Heritage site in 2006. After reaching the Church of San Matteo in Genova and lunching in its piazza we came to Piazza dei Ferrari with its magnificent fountain (1936) with a strong jet of water rising high into the air with a vast building in the Art Nouveau style as a backdrop; nearby the famous Teatro Carlo Felice and Via XX Settembre with an arcaded gothic loggia with the ground covered in polished mosaic leading to the medieval church of Santo Stefano. In Torino we visited the famous Giovanni and Marella Agnelli pinacoteca known as the Lingotto housing 25 works that include Renoir, Mattise, Picasso, Manet and Modigliani and the famous Canaletto and Piazzetta. At the same dizzy height stands ‘il Bolla’ conference hall also the design of Renzo Piano. Considering the four full days of our visit (20 - 24 May) the tour was not only packed with surprises but also exciting and educative.
A magnificent and extravagant Rococo Hall in the Palazzina di Caccia, Stupinigi
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E. V. Borg 19. 10. 2014
TORINO
Via Lagrange – street furniture: Statue of Rameses II in resin
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On our first day we headed for the Egyptian Museum in Torino - the world’s earliest Egyptian Museum. It was founded in 1824 and covers a period of more than 4000 years. It is the only museum dedicated exclusively to the art and culture of Egypt.
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Bed of Kha’s wife Merit
A richly painted sarcophagus that seemed to replace the need for decorating the tomb walls (first millennium BC)
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Middle coffin of Kha - covered in black bitumen. The coffin and mummy were inserted into the large shrine-shaped sarcophagus
Decorated wooden coffer with pediment lid. The coffer contains thirty four undergarments and two linen ones. Kha and Merit are painted on high back chairs making an offering
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Painted linen mummy mask of a woman
(Ptolemaic-Roman Period 1st century BC-AD)
Imitation of wooden Egyptian column with original capital and base
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A grand columned portico of a rich palace faรงade: we walked under a covered portico with wide arches on our way to the Egyptian Museum
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The Jesuit church of San Filippo Neri with a pediment over temple columns, with an adjoining Mannerist sacristy, an aedicule and other architectural details
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A richly ornate Rococo window
E. V. Borg discussing architectural merits of San Filippo Neri church
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Piazza San Carlo Palazzo Reale in the distance; on the right Palazzo Madama in Piazza Castello
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Palazzo Caringnano in Piazza Caringnano
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Piazza Reale
Ornate facade in Piazza Reale
Via Roma with portico
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First floor landing of the Scala Regia
Scala Regia (double-ramp stairs) of Palazzo Madama by Juvarra
Entrance to Palazzo Madama
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Exedra Square in Veneria and museum and gardens within the complex
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The Venaria (interior)
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Paolina Borghese Bathroom
Stupinigi: Turin; exterior faรงade dominated by a gilded stag in bronze and the Rococo interior
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Tram car in Corso Vittorio Veneto
‘Valour’ a monumental statue in bronze on Ponte Umberto I bridge that crosses the Po and marks the end of Corso Vittorio Emanuele II
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An excavated Roman theatre from the ancient Roman city. It was a large and imposing structure with a seating capacity of approx 3000 spectators
Porta Palatina in Piazza Cesare Augusto
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Santuario della Consolata with a Neo-classical faรงade and 11th century bell tower Statues of the benefactors
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The lavish Baroque interior of the Santuario della Consolata
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Details from the Sanctuary ‘della Consolata’ with one of the ornate Rococo domes
Michael and Terry sharing a lighthearted moment in the confessionary
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A chapel in the Sanctuary ‘della Consolata’
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Table cloths were graced with different flower arrangements against the emblem of the place We had bagna cauda in a bar near Al Bicerin CafĂŠ, opposite the church
Some of the group enjoyed the interior of the Cafe while others preferred to stay outside
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From the Lingotto building by Renzo Piano: at the same dizzy height stands ‘il Bolla’
An aerial view of the Lingotti Building where Fiat cars were tested on its roof
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Visiting the Agnelli Collection in the Lingotto Museum in the Fiat complex
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Inside the Fiat Complex
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A chic popular restaurant in Turin called Tre Galline and one of the dishes presented. On entrance there is a display of all sorts of hens
On the way to Genova and some countryside in between
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Genova
An aerial view (from the internet) of the Genova harbour which was designed by Renzo Piano
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Palazzo San Giorgio: the medieval part (1260) as the seat of government later turned into a bank; and a second part, a huge 16th century extension with a frescoed faรงade revealed during restoration works in 1990. According to tradition Marco Polo was imprisoned here after the Battle of Curzola in 1298
First impressions on arriving at the harbour area known as porto antico
Piazza Banchi (for money lending banks) and in the background the Loggia dei Mercanti with glazed arches
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Church of San Pietro in Banchi. The Group standing on the steps leading to the church terrace and portico; the apse and the nave of the church
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The interior of the Cathedral of San Lorenzo: the nave leading to the main altar and apse
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The main portal of San Lorenzo, the organ balcony and the gothic arched nave
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The lovely faรงade and interior of the Church of San Stefano. Inside in the presbytery is a painting of the Martyrdom of St. Stephen by Giulio Romano (1524)
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Via XX Settembre with a Palace in Art Nouveau as backdrop to a magnificent fountain (1936) in Piazza dei Ferrari A window within a window: the eccentricity of Art Nouveau! The smaller window framed in the supporting arch does not support a load. It is not functional
Gothic arcading with the church of San Stefano towering above
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The arcaded gothic loggia in striped marble in Via XX Settembre
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Some curiosities and interesting observations during the tour
A window display in Torino: with football as theme
Al Bicerin Café: where Alexandre Dumas used to sit near the sanctuary ‘del Consolata’: Torino
A juggler taking advantage of the traffic lights to earn some entertainment tips
Juve Stadium: Torino
A 100 year old hydraulic crane known as Long Henry and which is still functioning, in the harbour of Genova
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An interesting character window shopping in Genova
A prostitute in the Genova harbour area
The Group in front of a magnificent fountain (1936) in Piazza dei Ferrari in Genova and Via XX Settembre with a Palace in Art Nouveau style as backdrop to the fountain
On the river bank of the Po in Torino with majestic bridges and monumental statues where we took a trip on a launch
The Vasary Corridor, Firenze