TURIN FIRST AND LAST - The city's records

Turin detains a really considerable number of records, but how many people are familiar with them? Moreover, where have they gone over time?

Dedication, precision and sacrifice: these are the main elements which have contributed to attaining such a large number of successful achievements (a significant example is the city's great football team Toro).
But its proverbial discretion, together with the tendency to maintain and protect its identity, has led the city to shun haughtiness, crowns and glory.
Consequently, to avoid becoming corrupt and to keep out of the fashion victims' culture that ultimately consumes and dissolves everything, Turin loses the excellent results it has strenuously conquered. An unforgivable waste of energy and potential or an aristocratic distance from wordly and ephemeral boastfulness?

• Measuring Europe "vertically", the Mole Antonelliana (foto), with its height of 167,5 m., is the highest concrete structure in the old continent.
• Turin was before all the others... Indeed Piedmont's capital was the first capital of the Italian Nation, between 1861 and 1865.
• Turin is considered the city of arcades "par excellence", as demonstrated by its over 18 km of covered porticoes, almost all dating back to the Baroque period.
• The largest European open air market takes place in the city's historic centre, at Porta Palazzo.
• The Egyptian Museum, founded in 1824, was the first of its kind to be set up in the world and is second only to the Cairo Museum for the importance of its exhibits (and that's no small feat!)
• Piedmont's capital preserves the Holy Shroud: the linen sheet on which Jesus Christ's frontal and dorsal imprint is believed to be impressed, is safely kept in Piedmont's capital.
• Turin and Piedmont seem to have given the Church the greatest number of social saints: among the saints canonized over the last two centuries, 60 come from this diocese. So many that even Pope John Paul II, during his visit in 1988, pointed out this peculiarity.
• Turin was the first capital of the Italian cinema: it was here that the first production companies were established (FERT), the first film stars were born and the first spectacular film was shot ("Cabiria").
• During the Fascist period, it was here that high fashion shows started, stemming from the tradition of Turin's "dressmakers".
• It was from Turin's headquarters that the Italian radio started to broadcast its programmes, and was followed in turn by the Italian television... RAI (the Italian radio and TV network) was indeed born here: unbelievable, isn't it?
• Turin has also given birth to many gourmet specialities: grissini (breadsticks), bicerin (a coffee and chocolate speciality), vermouth, tramezzini sandwiches and gianduiotti chocolates. Real delicacies!

• The city is also famous for its sportloving soul: in fact, many sports federations (among which cycling,canoeing and skiing) - as well as the Alpine Club itself - were born here.
• Turin has a tradition of always being a leader in industry, scientific research and technology. Three names will suffice: Turin Polytechnic, among the best in Europe, FIAT, the greatest car producing factory in Italy, and Alenia, a top level aerospace industry.
• Turin is the capital of magic... According to the esoteric tradition,Turin is supposed to be a vertex of the white magic triangle, together with Prague and Lyon. Unfortunately, however, it is also supposed to be, together with London and San Francisco, part of another feared triangle: that of black magic.
• The Po, the longest river in Italy, runs through the city.
• Last but not least, the recent triumphs of electronics: the first phone call via UMTS, the creation of MP3, the generation of "Vitaminic", the internet portal specialised in the distribution of music in digital format... were born in Turin, of course!
• Finally the 2006 Olympics. Thanks to this event Turin has become world-famous as the largest city to host the Winter Olympic Games. How's that for class!

Bibliography: Capra Pierluigi, Torino città di primati: 333 volte prima in Italia.Torino, Graphot Editrice, 2003.