The company Fiat automobile manufacturer has its headquarters here and the city has been nicknamed as the Automobile Capital of Italy. The enormous Fiat factory was built in 1920. Fiat was owned by the late Gianni Agnelli, who was seen as the most powerful man in Italy.
There are more than 100 pubs, many disco pubs, 50 discos and every street has one. The streets are lit up and buzzing with people in the wine bars, restaurants and clubs, which offer everything from live jazz to exclusive dj sets.
Getting to know Turin also means trying out some of its numerous restaurants, where you will be able to sample regional dishes and explore innovative recipes by chefs who have made creativity the key to their success.
Turin is a shoppers paradise and all the major labels are represented on the streets of via Roma and via Lagrange. The city has many historic chocolate shops. The city is home to Europes largest open-air market, known as Porta Palazzo. Via Garibaldi, is the longest pedestrian thoroughfare in Europe. It is lined with interesting shops, including the Juventus the football team official store.
Turin's Christmas lights go on at the beginning of November every year. They are part of Luci d'artista, an initiative launched in 1997 by the city council to extend Turin's growing role as a promoter and collector of contemporary art into the ephemeral sphere of winter illuminations.
The Valentino Castle stands in the Valentino Park. It has not changed much in appearance since the expansion work carried out by the architect Di Castellamonte between 1630 and 1660. The side facing the city is built in typical French style in the form of a horseshoe. However, the facade which overlooks the Po has predominantly Italian carachteristics and features. Today it is home to the Faculty of Architecture.
The 15th-century Cathedral contains the Capella della Sindone, built to house the Holy Shroud. The Shroud of Turin is a centuries old linen cloth that bears the image of a crucified man. A man that millions believe to be Jesus of Nazareth. Modern science has completed hundreds of thousands of hours of detailed study and intense research on the Shroud. It is, in fact, the single most studied artefact in human history.
