I decided it would be to my benefit, as well as edifying for my readers, to research my new city, Torino. To my surprise, there isn't much available literature on traveling in Turin, and my searches in local bookstores were all but successful. I went to great lengths to retrieve a book entitled
Best of Turin that had to be shipped to me from a public library in Arkansas. Although the book was somewhat out-of-date (2004) I was able to glean some insight into the city and thus become more familiar with the Northern Italian way of life.
As you can see, Torino is situated in the Alps, or, as I like to think of it, the thigh region of the boot. This location is ideal for traveling to other European capitals, most of which are only an hour's plane ride away! It is the third largest city in Italy with a population of just under 1 million.
What I like about Torino (from what I read) is its cultural and economic dynamism. Turin was actually Italy's first capital when it was unified in 1861, yet only remained the seat of power for 4 years before being turned over to Rome. The city is the capital of the Piedmont region, considered both industrious and cosmopolitan. Turin is home to FIAT and Alfa Romeo, thus the capital of Italy's automotive industry, or we can just think of it as the Detroit of Italy. The region of Piedmont is regarded widely for its exceptional wines, Barolo and Barbaresco, as well as hundreds of locally crafted cheeses. Above all, Turin's gastronomic success must be attributed to chocolate -- there are annual festivals and celebrations for local confectioners' creations that I can't wait to be a part of!
Turin is perhaps most well known for the Shroud of Turin, the mystical cloth from which Christ rose that continues to perplex scientists to this day. (I recently watched a History Channel exclusive on the digitized image of Christ's face -- fascinating discoveries if you have the time.) I read that the true shroud never goes on view, though they bring out a reproduction every few years to show the public.
Notable also is Turin's unique landmark, the Mole Antonelliana which houses the National Museum of Cinema and is believed to be the tallest museum in the world. As a cultural epicenter, Turin has outstanding contemporary art museums as well as ancient -- the Museo Egizio (Egyptian Museum) is second only to that of Cairo.
In addition to all of this, Torino is the home base for perhaps the most famous Italian soccer team, Juventus. I suppose this means I'll have to develop an interest in soccer -- I'll get back to you on that. Turin also hosted the 2006 Winter Olympics, meaning the entire city was revamped and upgraded with new cultural complexes and sports arenas.
I was rather excited to discover Torino considers itself a green city, advocating bike riding and public transportation as well as locally made products. Turin has the world's first "slow food" grocery store in an old FIAT warehouse -- it's basically a big farmer's market open daily! The news of Turin's eco-friendly nature gives me hope that the city will be somewhat reminiscent of Austin's vibe.
Hopefully this brief description gives you all a sense of where I will be living for the next two years. I can hardly believe I'll be leaving 5 weeks from today!
With love,
Brittany/Lauren
