3 minute read
TOP IN TOWN
[ UNMISSABLE ] Top in Town
Mole Antonelliana Parco del Valentino
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Palazzo Madama
Museo Egizio
[ UNMISSABLE ] Top in Town
Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi
Lingotto
Reggia di Venaria Reale Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile
The CITY of the ALPS
−If you enjoy wandering through Turin’s geometric streets, plan an itinerary that allows you to admire the Savoy city from a new, more panoramic perspective. The allure of the city seen from above won’t disappoint.
−While talking about panoramic vistas in Turin, the Mole Antonelliana is a must visit. Standing at a height of 167.5 meters, it is one of the few buildings silhouetted against Turin’s skyline: the elevator whisks visitors up to the observation deck which offers a 360° view over the city and its surrounding Alpine range.
−Another unmissable destination for lovers of the outdoors, especially on a particularly clear day, is the Monte dei Cappuccini hill. Almost all the most beautiful aerial photographs of Turin are taken here, especially at sunset when the sky is tinged with a romantic shade of red.
−Only a few people know that in addition to hosting exhibitions and events, the museum tour of Palazzo Madama also includes the adjacent circular brick Panoramic Tower. When you reach the top, you can enjoy a beautiful view over the city, while learning more about its natural environment, thanks to information panels.
−Located just a short distance from the centre of the city, you’ll find the Lingotto area. The rooftop offers a breathtaking view over the city and leads to the bottom of the ‘Bolla’, a bubble-shaped glass and steel building.
−Turin is also an ideal base to reach several of Europe’s most renowned ski resorts. It is therefore not surprising that the city is described as the ‘Capital of the Alps’.
A star of the museum world
−Have you heard of Jean-François Champollion? A French archaeologist and Egyptologist and the director of the Egyptian sector of the Louvre in Paris, he is the man who deciphered the mystery of hieroglyphics through the Rosetta Stone in 1822. It is also thanks to Champollion’s expertise that we owe the defining statement: “The road to Memphis and Thebes passes through Turin.”
−This unique and extraordinary Egyptian Museum, the world’s first Egyptian museum founded in 1824, is the second in terms of the value and number of artifacts (around 40,000) outside of Cairo and the eighth most widely visited museum in Italy. It’s so well-known that in a classification drawn up by TripAdvisor, it was ranked number one among Italy’s most popular museums, ninth in Europe and fourteenth in the world. The British newspaper The Times listed it as one of the 50 best museums on the planet.
−Despite its longstanding history and historic headquarters – the imposing Palazzo dell’Accademia delle Scienze, dating back to the 17th century – the museum is extremely modern in terms of both its layout and immersive visitor experience.
−Remodelled by Oscar-winning set designer Dante Ferretti, in 2015 the exhibition space was doubled, following massive renovations, and is now spread over four levels, three above ground and one below ground, organized in chronological order.
−Here you’ll find mummies, tombs, papyrus sheets and everything related to ancient Egypt (included embalmed animals) from the Paleolithic to the Coptic era.
−If you’re so overwhelmed that you don’t know where to begin your tour, get an audio guide. A tip? The Restoration Area on the first floor that allows visitors to watch animal mummies being restored.
