CORNERS AND EDGES

There are 4 phone boxes on the corner of piazza Emanuele Filiberto. You need coins to use them. People come here from piazza della Repubblica and phone all over the world: China, Senegal, Morocco, Romania. This is where the edges of Porta Palazzo touch the corners of the Quadrilatero Romano.

But this division doesn't really exist, the two areas are united in history. The markets used to be in three small squares in the quadrilateral: in piazza Italia (at the beginning of via Milano), was the "mercato delle erbe", piazza Savoia, for game, truffles, poultry and eggs and "via delle quattro pietre", near the Porte Palatine, where they sold quality brooms. Shelters were later built in Porta Palazzo and the Quadrilatero Romano became a major wholesale center. It was then upgraded, just ten years ago, and transformed into a favourite haunt for Turin nightlife. This is why Porta Palazzo and the Quadrilatero Romano should be visited together. The ideal day is Saturday: a trip round the Balôn, food shopping in Porta Palazzo, lunch, aperitif and "artistic" shopping in the Quadrilatero,a visit to the local palaces and churches.

It's fascinating, though, to change your viewpoint: discovering the edges of the Quadrilatero (antique palaces, courtyards, traditional shops, Piedmontese accents and Southern dialects, the anecdotes and stories of those who have always lived there) and hanging about the corners of Porta Palazzo. It's a meeting place for cultures, traditions and distant knowledge, that has always welcomed immigration, first from Southern Italy,now from the Southern world.

ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE QUADRILATERAL

Giovanni Bonino's Bazar, in via Santa Chiara 30, is the place for memories. The door is old and so is the sound of the bell that announces your arrival.

Once inside you see it is full of the most varied and colourful objects.The dwarf Eolo key holder, Rubik's cube, furry spiders, masks, clubs and Carnival jokes: something is bound to remind you of your childhood.

"The shop goes back to 1938: it belonged to my grandfather and my father. They sold paper and ribbon. I decided to extend the stock, mostly by collecting games. Today there are lots of different things, some even unique. Thanks to word of mouth I've become well known. Lots of cinema set designers come here because they know that they can find anything. Whoever comes in frequently, finds things that were thought to be lost."

In the Quadrilateral's memory there are other places that haven't been lost, like the "Bottega del Presepe" (Nativity workshop) in via delle Orfane, la Drogheria Rinaldi in piazza Emanuele Filiberto, la Ditta Ceni in piazza della Repubblica. Others have gone, like the barbers in piazza Emanuele Filiberto, the children's clothing shop Stella d'oriente, the umbrella and glove factory in via Milano, the funeral directors took the place of the tea shop right in front of the Bazar Bonino.

THE MOZZARELLA DI BUFALA FROM PORTA PALAZZO

Every night in Porta Palazzo,via Pietro Egidi 6/E, four teenagers make the city's best mozzarella. And first thing in the morning the "Mozzarella sisters" who run the cheese factory "Amodio" arrive. Looking at them you might think that instead of an apple a day, it might be better to try the mozzarella di bufala, caciotte, provoloni, ricotta and all the products made in their cheese factory.

"We're from Naples. Our grandfather didn't want to run a dairy any more, and so he came up to Turin where he worked as a security guard in a factory. Our father, though, decided to start up the family business again. Working in a dairy is difficult and tough, our father wanted to teach four people that at 4:00 o'clock in the morning have to load the milk (it is parked in front of the shop during the day). Working the mozzarella takes a long time: milk with the curd takes on the consistency of a large pudding, it's then cut and immersed in water at a temperature of 80 °- 95 ° for fior di latte products and 90 °- 95 ° for bufala.When the pulp starts getting stringy like "chewing gum", it is worked by hand and takes on different shapes: treccia, nodino, cigliegino and fiordilatte."

Then the sisters come into work and sell a tradition that comes from 1,000 km away... Right here in Porta Palazzo.

THE STAND IN PIAZZA DELLA REPUBBLICA - FROM FATHER TO SON

Stefano's grandfather came to Turin from the South in the 1960s. He lived in piazza Emanuele Filiberto with his wife and ten children. He started selling fruit right away in Porta Palazzo. When Stefano's father got married, his grandfather gave them the stand as a wedding present. When Stefano got married, his father gave them the stand as a wedding present as he did with the other two children.Today Stefano sells fruit at Europe's biggest market and has clients who are very loyal.

"The market (atmosphere) is not as cold as the supermarket.There's more warmth and contact with the public. Prices are shouted. At the beginning I used to go home with no voice, then I got used to it and I started using my vocal cords better. I also got over my shyness.As long as I am strong enough, I'll carry on working in the market. I could never have worked in a closed place. I like working in Porta Palazzo, because I can use my imagination when I call out my waresand when I get the stall ready using different colors: for example, for the cascades of fruit it's important that melons are on red tablecloths or that lemons are among oranges and strawberries to break up the color. I'm proud when customers come back just because we get on well together".

At his wedding, Stefano had many gifts from his customers and had about a thousand people to thank. Today, next to him, his wife runs another fruit stall.

ZIGOU, AFRICA AND THE FORTUNE OF THE BALÔN

Zigou goes to the Balôn every Saturday. He's in search of his fortune. It's not money that attracts him, but meeting other people. Zigou paints and makes objects from what he finds at the Balôn, then he sells them. Zigou talks like a wise man.

"I came to Turin in 1996 and I like saying that I come from Africa because my ancestors didn't all live in Senegal. I like Turin because it is multiethnic and here you can see the whole world: some people have little eyes and others big eyes. Let's say that in Turin everyone has his own patch and I have mine. At the Balôn I like watching people, each one with his own style, and it helps inspire me to create and draw. Meeting others helps you to know yourself: the others are a mirror of me as I am for them, this is why I always smile when someone speaks to me. I always think about Africa: I earn enough to send money home. I'm very lucky because I don't need much, so I don't need much money, because otherwise I might change and lose the ability to be satisfied with what I have. This is why I always thank God when I get up in the morning".