Turin Introduction

As one of the large industrial centers, Turin (Torino in Italian) is Italy's third largest city and the capital of the Piedmont Region. Turin has a population of about 1,035,000. Turin hosted the 2006 Winter Olympics. Lively and elegant, Torino is incredibly a city set in the heart of verdant areas: gently resting on the hillside and enclosed by the winding course of the RiverPo, it owes much of its charm to its enchanting location at the foot of the western Alps, watched over by snowy peaks. The first Capital of Italia offers amazing museums and glorious Royal Residences, recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997. Up to one-third of the Italian chocolate producers are located in Piedmont, and this ancient city is known as the sweetest place in Italy, enjoying the good fame of Chocolate Capital.

Turin was first built in the Roman Empire as a strategic military point and was an autonomous city-state during the Medieval Renaissance. In 1720, it was the capital of the Kingdom of Sardinia and it was occupied by France in the Napoleonic wars. It was the capital of the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 to 1865. In the late 19th century it was an important center of light industry in the northwest region. Its historical center has preserved a lot of classical architecture and Baroque architecture, where countless festivals and celebrations were held throughout the year. In July 1899, Giovanni Agnelli created the FIAT in Turin.

Turin is a city with relatively low temperature. It has hot summers and warm winters. The annual rainfall is about 1,000 mm with more rainfall in winter and spring and more valley winds blowing.