The Valentino Park
Turin's romantic park between the river Po and the hills
Its origins
This celebrated park extends along the left bank of the river Po at the
foot of the hills, between the King Umberto I and Princess Isabella bridges.
It is very close to the centre of town, and about one kilometre from the
Porta Nuova main railway station.
It no longer is Turin vastest park, as its some 500,000 square metre area
now ranks second after the 840,000 square metre Pellerina Park, Italy's
most extended urban green area.
The origins of its name are rather uncertain. The first document bearing
the name Valentinium is dated 1275; some trace it back to Saint Valentine,
as the remains of this young 13th Century martyr Saint had been preserved
in a crystal container in the Church of Saint Vitus on the hill facing the
Valentino Park since the 18th Century before being transferred here following
on the destruction of a small church close to today's green area.
Some experts claim that the 14th of February (Saint Valentine's today) was
celebrated in a peculiar mixture of religious remembrances and mundane entertainment
with a party in which each lady called her Cavalier Valentino.
The park was opened in 1630 on a project by Carlo Cognengo di Castellamonte
and later completed by the designer's son Amedeo in 1660. In 1864 it was
partially redesigned by French designer Barillet with a better layout of
avenues and lanes, little woods, artificial dales, a small riding-track
and a mini-lake, later dried out and used as skating rink during the Winter
season.
The great International Exhibitions of 1884, 1898, 1921, 1922, and 1928
were held in the park grounds. A pleasantly flowered dale crossed by streams
and full of flowers beds, with a nearby rock garden was created for the
1961 Exhibition. The rose garden was created in 1965 and was later enlarged
for the Flor 62 Flower Show.
The Botanical Gardens
This is the seat of the Department of Vegetal Biology of Turin
University. It was enlarged in 1894 with the addition of the Arboretum.
The Gardens are one of the main study centres of Italian botany. The herbarium
contains some 700,000 specimens (the second largest collection after the
one at Florence).
The story of the plant life studied here is contained in the 65 volumes
of the Iconografia Taurinensis, that includes 7640 water-coloured tables
made between 1752 and 1868. The green houses, gardens and alboretum, scientific
laboratories and its rich library of 500,000 volumes together with Italy's
most important collection of 700 specialised publications make Turin's Botanical
Gardens rank among the most internationally famous.
The Castle
It is no doubt the whole park's most famous building. Its origins date from
the early 26th Century. Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy acquired it in 1564.
Later Carlo Emanuele I (the Iron Head's son) bequeathed it to Marie Christine
of France (the Madama Reale) who used it as her favourite residence and
lived there at length with her court.
The Castle was completely refurbished from 1621 to 1669, first by Carlo
di Castellamonte and later by his son Amedeo. The building presents two
different façades: the main one towards Turin has the same architectural
features as French 17th castles and contains elements of the Italian building
baroque style; the other facing the river Po is brickwork. The halls, particularly
the Central Hall and the Hunting Room on the first floor (accessed
by two stairways) preserve traces of the old 17th Century splendour, with
rich stuccoes and allegorical memorial frescoes. The pavement of the large
courtyard is chiaroscuro stonework and contains its original design motifs.
Battles were fought around the Castle, agreements and armistices stipulated
and alliances signed. Its vaults record the most salient dates of Piedmont's
history, as those at Palazzo Madama. Today it is the seat of Turin Polytechnic's
Faculty of Architecture.
Medieval Castle and Village
This magnificent complex consists of the Medieval Village and the fortified
Stronghold or Castle. It rises close to the Principessa Isabella bridge
and is also accessed by a boat service from the Murazzi. Its crenellated
walls, many-towered castle, drawbridge, fortified houses, narrow streets
and lively artisan shops are a faithful replica of a 15th Century Village.
It was built for the 1884 Turin International Exhibition mostly on designs
by the eclectic Alfredo d'Andrade, a naturalised Italian Portuguese artist,
a great connoisseur of the Piedmontese Middle Ages and restorer of many
castles and abbeys in Piedmont.
The Torino Esposizioni and Underground Pavilion Complex
This is a venue for prestigious events. It was the seat for the International Motor and Industrial Vehicles Shows until 1990 (when they were transferred to the Lingotto Exhibition grounds). The complex also houses the Teatro Nuovo and the Ice Palace.
Società Promotrice delle Belle Arti
The Society was founded in 1842. It lies to the right of the Castello del Valentino and is used for temporary art exhibitions.
Villa Glicini
Villa Glicini is the headquarters of the Turin Fencing Club, founded in 1879. Many international foil, sabre and sword fencing competitions are held here annually. Italy's first Society of Gymnastics was founded here in 1884.