Turin's Regal Architecture

July 31, 2009

“You can pretend to be serious; you can’t pretend to be witty.” -Sacha Gultry

The following images are continuation from last week’s blog post. This week, I am posting snapshots of Turin’s city center as I walked across town to visit the historical landmarks.

Turin’s architecture style is unlike I have seen in any other Italian cities be it Venice, Florence, or Rome. I have re-learned to love Italian architecture all over again by seeing another layer of its style.

To me, Turin’s architecture is regal and serious. The city represents many refined architectural monuments that are distinctively suited to a city in the Piedmont region, which is highly regarded as the most French amongst Italian states. The name Piedmont comes from “ai piedi del monte,” which means “at the foot of the mountain.” The region is surrounded on three sides by the Alps, and borders with France and Switzerland. For a short time in history, Turin was a capital of Italy, and the city still reflects the regal characteristics.

My snapshots represent a very short visit, and capture the general mood of the architectural style of the city. I hope the images reflect the formalities found nowhere else in Italy. In addition to the formalities, you’ll see how the city exemplifies progressive architectural sensibilities through designs reflecting Turin’s history.