Pietro Frua (2 May 1913 - 28 June 1983) was one of the leading Italian coachbuilders and car designers during the 1950s and 1960s.
73-550: Frua was born in Turin , the centre of coachbuilding in northern Italy . He was the fourth son of Angela, a tailor, and Carlo Frua, an employee of Fiat . After school he was educated as a draftsman at the Scuola Allievi Fiat, where he underwent his apprenticeship. Frua's professional career began at the age of 17, when he joined Stabilimenti Farina as a draftsman. At the age of 22, he became Director of Styling at
146-420: A monocoque motorscooter . Frua planned for post-war times: in 1944 he bought a bombed-out factory, hired 15 workers (including Sergio Coggiola , who founded his own carrozzeria in 1966) and equipped himself to design and build cars . His first known car is a 1946 Fiat 1100C spyder . Maserati was one of the first clients who contracted Frua for the styling of their new 2-litre, 6-cylinder sports car,
219-445: A 122,000 m (1,313,197 sq ft) complex, hosts approximately 30,000 students and is considered one of the major institutes of technology of the country – mainly due to the vocation of the city for the industrialisation, pushed by the automotive sector. This institute recently expanded in the western district of Cenisia with additional modern buildings. Maserati Mistral Too Many Requests If you report this error to
292-586: A centre of anti-fascist movements during the Ventennio fascista including the Italian resistance movement , Turin became a major European crossroad for industry, commerce and trade, and is part of the industrial triangle along with Milan and Genoa . It is ranked third in Italy, after Milan and Rome , for economic strength. As of 2018, the city has been ranked by GaWC as a Gamma-level global city . Turin
365-446: A disagreement between Segre and Frua over the car's “paternity”, and Frua left Ghia to start his own design studio again. At the same time, Pelle Petterson designed his Volvo P1800 under the attentive eye of Frua and, not surprisingly, it is often attributed to Frua's pen. From 1957 to 1959, Frua also designed several cars for Ghia-Aigle , the former Swiss subsidiary of Ghia Turin, already independent at that time. Giovanni Michelotti
438-610: Is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy . It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin , and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is mainly on the western bank of the Po River , below its Susa Valley , and is surrounded by the western Alpine arch and Superga hill. The population of the city proper is 847,622 (30 June 2024), while
511-520: Is also home to much of the Italian automotive industry , hosting the headquarters of Fiat , Lancia , and Alfa Romeo . The city has a rich culture and history, and it is known for its numerous art galleries , restaurants, churches, palaces, opera houses , piazzas , parks, gardens, theatres, libraries, museums and other venues. Turin is well known for its Baroque , Rococo , Neoclassical , and Art Nouveau architecture. Many of Turin's public squares , castles, gardens, and elegant palazzi , such as
584-496: Is an example of contemporary architecture, being a 300 m-long (980 ft) and 19 m-high (62 ft) glass and steel structure. Porta Susa is currently the international central station of the city (high speed trains to Paris) and it is becoming the central hub of railway transportation of the city, being the station in which local trains (so-called Ferrovie Metropolitane ), national trains and high-speed national and international trains converge. Close to Via Cernaia stands
657-580: Is another example of Baroque square with arcades. Another main street of downtown is Via Pietro Micca , which starts in Piazza Castello and ends in the large Piazza Solferino . The street continues in Via Cernaia up to Piazza XVIII Dicembre , which features the former Porta Susa passengers building, relocated in 2012 a little more southward. The new and larger passengers building is situated between Corso Bolzano and Corso Inghilterra and
730-817: Is depicted on the Italian 2-cent coin. Just behind Piazza Castello stands the Turin Cathedral , dedicated to Saint John the Baptist , which is the major church of the city. It was built during 1491–1498 and is adjacent to an earlier bell tower (1470). Annexed to the cathedral is the Chapel of the Holy Shroud , the current resting place of the Shroud of Turin . The chapel was added to the structure in 1668–1694, designed by Guarini . The Basilica of Corpus Domini
803-504: Is often regarded as the pinnacle of Art Nouveau design, and the city hosted the same event in 1911 . By this time, Turin had grown to 430,000 inhabitants. After World War I , harsh conditions brought a wave of strikes and workers' protests. In 1920 the Lingotto Fiat factory was occupied. The Fascist regime in Italy put an end to the social unrest, banning trade unions and jailing socialist leaders, notably Antonio Gramsci . On
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#1732783441047876-534: Is popular for its aperitivo bars and its small shops run by local artisans. The hub of the Quadrilatero is Piazza Emanuele Filiberto . South of the Quadrilatero Romano stands Via Garibaldi , another popular street of the city. It is a 1 km (0.6 mi) pedestrian street between Piazza Castello and Piazza Statuto which features some of the old shops of the city. Large Piazza Statuto
949-400: Is split up into 8 boroughs , locally called circoscrizioni ; these do not necessarily correspond to the historical districts of the city, which are rather called quartieri , rioni , borghi , borgate or zone . The "circoscrizioni" system originally comprised 10 of them, that were reduced to 8 by merging borough 9 into 8, and 10 into 2. The following list numerates the boroughs and
1022-649: The A6G . From 1950 to 1957, Frua built 19 Spyders and seven coupés in three different design series – including some on the A6 GCS racing chassis . In 1957, Frua sold his small coachbuilding company to Carrozzeria Ghia in Turin, and Ghia director Luigi Segre appointed him head of Ghia Design. In this short period, Frua was responsible for the successful Renault Floride , which experienced well-deserved commercial success (about 117,000 were sold in ten years). This success led to
1095-657: The Castello or Palazzo Madama . The Porta Palatina , on the north side of the current city centre, is still preserved in a park near the cathedral. Remains of the Roman-period theatre are preserved in the area of the Manica Nuova . Turin reached about 5,000 inhabitants at the time, all living inside the high city walls. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire , the town, along with the rest of
1168-593: The Cittadella (Citadel), in the Andrea Guglielminetti garden . What remains of the old medieval and modern fortress of the city, it is a starting point for a tour into the old tunnels below the city. Southeast of the city centre stands San Salvario district, which extends from Corso Vittorio Emanuele II to Corso Bramante and is delimited by the Turin-Genoa railway on the west side and by
1241-533: The Kingdom of Italy from 1861 to 1865. Turin is sometimes called "the cradle of Italian liberty" for having been the political and intellectual centre of the Risorgimento that led to the unification of Italy , as well as the birthplace of notable individuals who contributed to it, such as Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour . Although much of its political influence had been lost by World War II , having been
1314-654: The Leonardo da Vinci self-portrait , and the baroque Royal Church of San Lorenzo . Moreover, Piazza Castello hosts a Fascist era building, the Torre Littoria , a sort of skyscraper which was supposed to become the headquarters of the Fascist party, although it never served as such. The building's style is quite different from the Baroque style of Piazza Castello. The square regularly hosts the main open space events of
1387-592: The Monteverdi Hai 450 is believed to have been designed by Frua. At the end of the 1960s, Frua tried in vain to prolong his success with Glas by making a dozen proposals to BMW. BMW decided to make it on their own. Although he was not the principal designer, Frua produced the bodywork and did final assembly and detailing for Peter Kalikow 's Momo Mirage prototypes in the early 1970s. Frua had been recommended to Kalikow by Derek Hurlock , chairman and managing director of AC Cars , in part because of his work on
1460-468: The Murazzi quays used to host several bars and nightclubs open until the morning until a few years ago. Parallel to Via Roma, the other two popular pedestrian streets, namely Via Lagrange and Via Carlo Alberto , cross the old town from Via Po to Corso Vittorio Emanuele II . Their recent pedestrianisation has improved their original commercial vocation. In particular, Via Lagrange has recently increased
1533-564: The Palatine Towers , an ancient Roman -medieval structure that served as one of four Roman city gates along the city walls of Turin. This gate allowed access from north to the cardo maximus , the typical second main street of a Roman town. The Palatine Towers are among the best preserved Roman remains in Northern Italy. Close to this site, the 51,300 m (552,189 sq ft) Piazza della Repubblica plays host to
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#17327834410471606-817: The Palazzo Madama , were built between the 16th and 18th centuries. A part of the historical centre of Turin was inscribed in the World Heritage List under the name Residences of the Royal House of Savoy . In addition, the city is home to museums, such as the Museo Egizio , and the Mole Antonelliana , the city's architectural symbol, which in turn hosts the National Museum of Cinema . Turin's attractions make it one of
1679-823: The Parlamento Subalpino (the "Subalpine Parliament", Parliament of the Kingdom of Sardinia which also became the Italian Parliament for a few years, after the Italian unification) and today houses the Museum of the Risorgimento . The square also features the Teatro Carignano , a well-conserved Baroque theatre. Via Carlo Alberto crosses Piazza Carlo Alberto , a big square hosting the rear façade of Palazzo Carignano, in eclectic style. On
1752-607: The 1884 International Exhibition . Other buildings in Corso Massimo d'Azeglio include the Torino Esposizioni complex (Turin's exhibition hall built in the 1930s) featuring a monumental entrance with a large full height porch, a main hall designed by Pier Luigi Nervi in reinforced concrete, and the Teatro Nuovo , a theatre mostly focused on ballet exhibitions. Another building is the largest synagogue of
1825-512: The AC Frua. In the 1970s Frua reduced the frequency of his presentations, but in the sixth decade of his life he still demonstrated his good taste and craftsmanship to the younger ones who already had taken their role in the industrial process. There was no longer a demand to build completely detailed and functional prototypes in less than ten weeks, and no more customers for special bodied one-offs. One of his last designs to enter series production
1898-609: The Brazilians. In the postwar years, Turin was rapidly rebuilt. The city's automotive industry played a pivotal role in the Italian economic miracle of the 1950s and 1960s, attracting hundreds of thousands of immigrants to the city, particularly from the rural southern regions of Italy. The number of immigrants was so big that Turin was said to be "the third southern Italian city after Naples and Palermo ". The population soon reached 1 million in 1960 and peaked at almost 1.2 million in 1971. The exceptional growth gains of
1971-474: The French Alps. Winters are moderately cold and dry, summers are mild in the hills and quite hot in the plains. Rain falls mostly during spring and autumn; during the hottest months, otherwise, rains are less frequent but heavier (thunderstorms are frequent). During the winter and autumn months banks of fog, which are sometimes very thick, form in the plains but rarely on the city because of its location at
2044-517: The Frua-bodied four-door Quattroporte which, after several one-offs, re-established Frua's connection with this manufacturer. Two years later, the Mistral was shown, cementing Frua's status in the mid-sixties. With these cars Maserati was positioned into a new market of luxury and powerful, understated cars. In 1965, AC showed the powerful, Frua-bodied 7-litre AC Frua Spyder, which drew from
2117-746: The Italian peninsula, was conquered by the Heruli and the Ostrogoths , recaptured by the Romans , but then conquered again by the Lombards whose territory then fell into the hands of the Franks under Charlemagne (773). The Contea di Torino (countship) was founded in the 940s and was held by the Arduinic dynasty until 1050. After the marriage of Adelaide of Susa with Humbert Biancamano 's son Otto ,
2190-590: The Italsuisse stand at the 1961 Motor Show in Geneva, together with two tasteful bodies on Studebaker chassis. In 1964 a lovely little Spyder followed with Opel Kadett mechanics. During the 1960s Pietro Frua was among the most prominent car designers in Italy. The “Frua line” was synonymous with the good taste of a single man. He followed each car's realization to the last detail of fully functional one-offs and prototypes, often driving them to their presentation at
2263-636: The Mistral's shape. A coupé followed in 1967. In the same year, the Swiss racing driver and Ferrari importer Peter Monteverdi started to build a Frua-bodied sport coupé, the Chrysler engined Monteverdi High Speed 375S. He also designed the Monteverdi 2000 GTI, but this remained a one-off. Due to Frua's limited capacities, the production of the following High Speed models went to Fissore in Turin. However,
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2336-494: The Po river on the east side. Home to an increasing immigrants' community, the district is an example of integration among different cultures; it also features an incremented nightlife after the opening of several low-cost bars and restaurants. San Salvario is crossed by two main roads, Via Nizza and Via Madama Cristina , and just as the city centre it is characterised by the grid plan typical of Turin's old neighbourhoods. The hub of
2409-558: The RAF; the heaviest raid took place on 13 July 1943, when 295 bombers dropped 763 tons of bombs, killing 792 people. Overall, these raids killed 2,069 inhabitants of Turin, and destroyed or damaged 54% of all buildings in the city. The Allied's campaign in Italy started off from the South and slowly moved northwards in the following two years, leaving the northern regions occupied by Germans and collaborationist forces for several years. Turin
2482-561: The Stabilimenti Farina, already a leading Turin coachbuilder employing several hundred people. Some credit him with having influenced early designs of the iconic Vespa while at Farina. That was where Frua had his first contact with Giovanni Michelotti , who became his successor as Head of Styling after he started his own studio in 1938. During World War II car-styling work was scarce and Frua had to turn to designing children's cars, electric ovens and kitchen units, as well as
2555-1567: The association football club Juventus , which competes with its rival Torino in the Derby della Mole , the city's derby . The city, among other events, was one of the host cities of the 1934 and 1990 FIFA World Cups, along with hosting the 2006 Winter Olympics ; Turin hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 and is hosting the tennis ATP Finals from 2021 until 2025. [REDACTED] Roman Republic 58–27 BC [REDACTED] Roman Empire 27 BC–285 AD [REDACTED] Western Roman Empire 285–476 [REDACTED] Kingdom of Odoacer 476–493 [REDACTED] Ostrogothic Kingdom 493–553 [REDACTED] Eastern Roman Empire 553–569 [REDACTED] Lombard Kingdom 569–773 [REDACTED] Carolingian Empire 773–888 [REDACTED] March of Ivrea 888–941 [REDACTED] March of Turin 941–1046 [REDACTED] County of Savoy 1046–1416 [REDACTED] Duchy of Savoy 1416–1720 [REDACTED] Kingdom of Sardinia 1720–1792 [REDACTED] First French Republic 1792–1804 [REDACTED] First French Empire 1804–1814 [REDACTED] Kingdom of Sardinia 1814–1861 [REDACTED] Kingdom of Italy 1861–1943 [REDACTED] Italian Social Republic 1943–1945 [REDACTED] Kingdom of Italy 1945–1946 [REDACTED] Italian Republic 1946–present The Taurini were an ancient Celto-Ligurian , Alpine people, who occupied
2628-588: The biggest open market in Europe, locally known as mercato di Porta Palazzo ( Porta Palazzo or Porta Pila are the historical and local names of this area). West of the Porte Palatine stands the Quadrilatero Romano (Roman Quadrilateral), the old medieval district recently renewed. The current neighbourhood is characterised by its tiny streets and its several medieval buildings and today it
2701-540: The centre of the roundabout between Corso Vittorio Emanuele II and Corso Galileo Ferraris : the Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II , a king of Savoy statue situated on a 39-meters high column. Next to the museum, another significant residential building previously hosted the head office of Juventus , one of the two main Turin football clubs . West of this area, the main building of Polytechnic University of Turin stands along Corso Duca Degli Abruzzi . The 1958 building,
2774-509: The city for 117 days without conquering it. By the Treaty of Utrecht the Duke of Savoy acquired Sicily , soon traded for Sardinia , and part of the former Duchy of Milan , and obtained the title of King of Sardinia ; thus Turin became the capital of a European kingdom. The architect Filippo Juvarra began a major redesign of the city; Turin had about 90,000 inhabitants at the time. Turin, like
2847-427: The city gained it the nickname of Capitale dell'automobile (Automobile Capital), being often compared with Detroit , the major centre of the U.S. automobile industry (both cities has been twinned in 1998). In the 1970s and 1980s, the oil and automotive industry crisis severely hit the city, and its population began to sharply decline, losing more than one-fourth of its total in 30 years. The long population decline of
2920-548: The city has begun to reverse itself only in recent years, as the population grew from 865,000 to slightly over 900,000 by the end of the century. In 2006, Turin hosted the Winter Olympic Games . Turin is in northwest Italy . It is surrounded on the western and northern front by the Alps and on the eastern front by a high hill that is the natural continuation of the hills of Monferrato . Four major rivers pass through
2993-733: The city, in Piazzetta Primo Levi , a square. Its architecture stands in the main sight of the city, as characterised by four large towers – 27 m (89 ft) high – topped by four onion-shaped domes. South of Centro stands the Crocetta district, considered one of the most exclusive districts of the city, because of highly rated residential buildings. At the heart of the district is the partially pedestrianised area crossed by Corso Trieste , Corso Trento and Corso Duca D'Aosta , plenty of some notable residential buildings in eclectic , neo-Gothic and Art Nouveau style. The area
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3066-491: The city, live concerts included. As for the southern part of the street, Via Roma ends in Piazza Carlo Felice and in its Giardino Sambuy , a wide fenced garden right in the middle of the square. Across from Piazza Carlo Felice stands the monumental façade of Porta Nuova railway station , the central station of the city built between 1861 and 1868 by the architect Alessandro Mazzucchetti. The passengers building
3139-525: The city. The half-pedestrianized square hosts some significant buildings such as Palazzo Reale (Former Savoy Royal House), the Palazzo Madama (which previously hosted the Savoy senate and, for few years, the Italian senate after Italian unification), the former Baroque Teatro Regio di Torino (rebuilt in modern style in the 1960s, after being destroyed by fire), the Royal Library of Turin which hosts
3212-723: The city: the Po and three of its tributaries, the Dora Riparia (once known as Duria Minor by the Romans, from the Celtic noun duria meaning "water"), the Stura di Lanzo and the Sangone . Located in northwestern Italy at the foot of the Alps , Turin features a mid-latitude, four seasons humid subtropical climate ( Köppen : Cfa ), similar to that of Grenoble , located not far away in
3285-422: The district is Piazza Madama Cristina which hosts a big open market, while several commercial activities flourish around it. The celebrated Parco del Valentino is situated in the east side of San Salvario and, albeit not in downtown, it represents kind of central park of Turin. Thanks to the vicinity to the city centre, the park is very popular among the local people, during the day but also at night, because of
3358-489: The end of the Susa Valley . Snowfalls are not uncommon during the winter months, although substantial accumulation is quite uncommon. Its position on the east side of the Alps makes the weather drier than on the west side because of the föhn wind effect. The highest temperature ever recorded was 37.1 °C (98.8 °F) on 11 August 2003 , and the lowest was −21.8 °C (−7.2 °F) on 12 February 1956. Turin
3431-452: The equestrian monument to Emmanuel Philibert , also known as Caval ëd Brons in the local dialect ("Bronze Horse"); the monument depicts the Duke sheathing his sword after the Battle of St. Quentin . Piazza San Carlo arcades host the most ancient cafés of the city, such as Caffé Torino and Caffé San Carlo . At the northern end of Via Roma stands Piazza Castello , regarded as the heart of
3504-600: The false upper floors are in transalpino (i.e. French) style. The façade sports the huge coat of arms of the House of Savoy . Today, Castello del Valentino serves as the faculty of Architecture of the Polytechnic University of Turin . Another cluster of buildings in the park is the Borgo Medioevale (Medieval village), a replica of medieval mountain castles of Piedmont and Aosta Valley, built for
3577-412: The family of the Counts of Savoy gained control. While the title of count was held by the Bishop as count of Turin (1092–1130 and 1136–1191) it was ruled as a prince-bishopric by the Bishops. In 1230–1235, it was a lordship under the Marquess of Montferrat , styled Lord of Turin. At the end of the 13th century, when it was annexed to the Duchy of Savoy, the city already had 20,000 inhabitants. Many of
3650-412: The first and original building of the University of Turin and the historical Caffè Fiorio , which was the favourite café of the 19th-century politicians. Via Po ends in Piazza Vittorio Veneto (simply called Piazza Vittorio locally), the largest Baroque square in Europe and today heart of Turin nightlife. Piazza Vittorio features the most fashionable bars and not far from here, along the Po riverfront,
3723-413: The gardens and palaces were built in the 15th century when the city was redesigned. The University of Turin was also founded during this period. Emmanuel Philibert , also known under the nickname of Iron Head (Testa 'd Fer), made Turin the capital of the Duchy of Savoy in 1563. Piazza Reale (named Piazza San Carlo today) and Via Nuova (current Via Roma) were added along with the first enlargement of
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#17327834410473796-590: The location of the historical districts inside them: The mayor of Turin is directly elected every five years. The current mayor of the city is Stefano Lo Russo ( PD ), elected in 2021. Turin's historical architecture is predominantly Baroque and was developed under the Savoyard state . Nonetheless, the main street of the city centre, Via Roma , was built during the Fascist era (from 1931 to 1937) as an example of Italian Rationalism , replacing former buildings already present in this area. Via Roma runs between Piazza Carlo Felice and Piazza Castello . Buildings on
3869-406: The most iconic landmarks of the city, like the Mole Antonelliana , the Egyptian Museum , the Gran Madre di Dio church and Piazza Vittorio Veneto were built in this period. The late 19th century was also a period of rapid industrialization, especially in the automotive sector: in 1899 Fiat was established in the city, followed by Lancia in 1906. The Universal Exposition held in Turin in 1902
3942-415: The motor shows in Europe. In 1963, at the age of 50 and at the peak of his career, Frua designed a range of cars for Glas , Germany's smallest car-maker. This included the GT Coupé and Cabriolet as well as the larger V8-engined 2600, often called "Glaserati" for its likeness with Frua's Maserati-designs. These were built until 1968 as the BMW GT, after BMW had bought Glas. Also in 1963, Maserati showed
4015-430: The name of Julia Augusta Taurinorum (modern Turin). Both Livy and Strabo mention the Taurini's country as including one of the passes of the Alps , which points to a wider use of the name in earlier times. In the first century BC (probably 28 BC ), the Romans founded Augusta Taurinorum . Via Garibaldi traces the exact path of the Roman city's decumanus which began at the Porta Decumani , later incorporated into
4088-416: The newly proclaimed united Kingdom of Italy having been the political and intellectual centre of the Risorgimento movement, until 1865, when the capital was moved to Florence , and then to Rome after the 1870 conquest of the Papal States . The 1871 opening of the Fréjus Tunnel made Turin an important communication node between Italy and France. The city in that period had 250,000 inhabitants. Some of
4161-400: The other hand, Benito Mussolini largely subsidised the automotive industry, to provide vehicles to the army. Turin was then a target of Allied strategic bombing during World War II , being heavily damaged by the air raids in its industrial areas as well as in the city centre. Along with Milan , Genoa , and La Spezia , Turin was one of Italy's four cities that experienced area bombing by
4234-430: The other side stands the monumental Biblioteca Nazionale (National Library). Not far from Via Po stands the symbol of Turin, namely the Mole Antonelliana , so named after the architect who built it, Alessandro Antonelli . Construction began in 1863 as a Jewish synagogue . Nowadays it houses the National Museum of Cinema and it is believed to be the tallest museum in the world at 167 m (548 ft). The building
4307-403: The population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat to be 1.7 million inhabitants. The Turin metropolitan area is estimated by the OECD to have a population of 2.2 million. The city was historically a major European political centre. From 1563, it was the capital of the Duchy of Savoy , then of the Kingdom of Sardinia ruled by the House of Savoy , and the first capital of
4380-477: The portion between Piazza Carlo Felice and Piazza San Carlo were designed by rationalist architect Marcello Piacentini . These blocks were built into a reticular system, composed by austere buildings in clear rationalist style, such as the impressive Hotel Principi di Piemonte and the former Hotel Nazionale in Piazza CLN . Porches are built in a continuous entablature and marked with double columns, to be consistent with those of Piazza San Carlo. The section of
4453-452: The presence of luxury boutiques. This street also hosts the Egyptian Museum of Turin , home to what is regarded as one of the largest collections of Egyptian antiquities outside of Egypt. Via Lagrange and Via Carlo Alberto cross two significant squares of the city, respectively. The former crosses Piazza Carignano , well known mainly for the undulating "concave – convex-concave" Baroque façade of Palazzo Carignano . This building used to host
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#17327834410474526-403: The rest of Piedmont , was annexed by the French Empire in 1802. The city thus became the seat of the prefecture of Pô department until the fall of Napoleon in 1814, when the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia was restored with Turin as its capital. In the following decades, the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia led the struggle towards the unification of Italy . In 1861, Turin became the capital of
4599-401: The several bars and nightclubs placed here. From the terraces of Parco del Valentino, many sights of the hills on the other side of the river can be appreciated. In the centre of the park stands the Castello del Valentino , built in the 17th century. This castle has a horseshoe shape, with four rectangular towers, one at each angle, and a wide inner court with a marble pavement. The ceilings of
4672-413: The street between Piazza San Carlo and Piazza Castello was built in an eclectic style, with arcades characterised by Serliana -type arches. To this day Via Roma is the street featuring the most fashionable boutiques of the city. Via Roma crosses one of the main squares of the city: the pedestrianized Piazza San Carlo, built by Carlo di Castellamonte in the 17th century. In the middle of the square stands
4745-399: The upper valley of the Po River , in the center of modern Piedmont . In 218 BC, they were attacked by Hannibal as he was allied with their long-standing enemies, the Insubres . The Taurini chief town ( Taurasia ) was captured by Hannibal's forces after a three-day siege. As a people they are rarely mentioned in history. It is believed that a Roman colony was established after 28 BC under
4818-414: The walls, in the first half of the 17th century; in the same period the Palazzo Reale ( Royal Palace of Turin ) was also built. In the second half of that century, a second enlargement of the walls was planned and executed, with the building of the arcaded Via Po, connecting Piazza Castello with the bridge on the Po through the regular street grid. In 1706, during the Battle of Turin , the French besieged
4891-405: The world's top 250 tourist destinations and the tenth most visited city in Italy in 2008. The city also hosts some of Italy's best universities, colleges, academies, lycea , and gymnasia , such as the University of Turin , founded in the 15th century, and the Turin Polytechnic . Turin is also worldwide famous for icons like the Shroud of Turin , the gianduja , the automobile brand Fiat, and
4964-405: Was built between 1903 and 1937 replacing the old parade ground , which was moved in the Southern part of the city. North of this area stands the GAM (Galleria d'Arte Moderna) , one of the two Museum of Modern Arts of the Turin Metro area (the second and largest one is hosted in Castello di Rivoli , a former Savoy royal castle in the suburbs). The museum stands in front a huge monument situated in
5037-419: Was built to celebrate an alleged miracle which took place during the sack of the city in 1453, when a soldier was carrying off a monstrance containing the Blessed Sacrament ; the monstrance fell to the ground, while the host remained suspended in air. The present church, erected in 1610 to replace the original chapel which stood on the spot, is the work of Ascanio Vitozzi . Next to the Turin Cathedral stand
5110-401: Was his predecessor in this position. After Ghia-Aigle finished coachbuilding, a former employee, Adriano Guglielmetti , started his own business and founded Carrosserie Italsuisse in Geneva . Again Pietro Frua did the drawings and, most probably, built all the prototypes for this company. After a Corvair -like styled pontoon-Beetle in 1960, Italsuisse showed a Maserati 3500 GTI Coupé on
5183-430: Was not captured by the Allies until the end of Spring Offensive of 1945 . By the time the vanguard of the armoured reconnaissance units of Brazilian Expeditionary Force reached the city, it was already freed by the Italian Partisans , that had begun revolting against the Germans and the Italian RSI troops on 25 April 1945. Days later, troops from the US Army's 1st Armored and 92nd Infantry Divisions came to substitute
5256-542: Was renovated to host a shopping mall and more efficient passenger service offices. However, it is still an example of monumental architecture, with its stately foyer and some Baroque sights, such as the Sala Reale (the former Royal waiting room). In Piazza Castello converge some of the main streets of the city centre. Among them, one of the most significant is the arcaded Via Po , built by Amedeo di Castellamonte in 1674 and featuring some interesting buildings, such as
5329-607: Was the two-door GT Maserati Kyalami first shown at the 1976 Geneva Motor Show . In 1982 Pietro Frua developed cancer and had unsuccessful surgery in the autumn of that year. He married his long-time assistant, Gina, shortly before he died on 28 June 1983, a few weeks after his 70th birthday. Turin Turin ( / tj ʊəˈr ɪ n , ˈ tj ʊər ɪ n / ture- IN , TURE -in , Piedmontese : [tyˈriŋ] ; Italian : Torino [toˈriːno] ; Latin : Augusta Taurinorum , then Taurinum )
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