Vogue.

com
Monica Mendal
Oct 5, 2022

Photos:
Main image: hopefully stock has something like this one ?
Stay: images were pulled from hotel websites
Food: use stock image
Do: use a stock image of Museo Casa Mollino

Move Over Milan– A Guide to Turin, Italy's Most Elegant City

As Milan has long gripped the imagination of travelers venturing to northern Italy
for a spot of fashion, design and culture, Turin, Italy’s fourth largest city located
just 45-minutes from Milan by train, has somehow remained blithely under wraps.
Not long after you arrive in the Piedmontese capital, will you discover its
inimitable elegance is palpable from anywhere you’re standing. Baroque
architecture resembling that of Paris or Vienna marks the myriad of historic
museums and galleries, while slashes of snow-capped mountains, visible from
grand squares and cobbled streets bustling with old cafes and restaurants
serving traditional Piedmontese dishes, invariably reveal The Alps that rise to the
northwest of the city. Stay long enough and you’ll find that Turin’s alchemy of art,
culture and quality food isn’t just smoke and mirrors, but a promising indication
that a new awakening is on the horizon. Below, a guide to Turin.

Stay
Turin’s limited selection of hotels is evidence of the city’s lack of tourism. While
there’s no shortage of places to stay, big hotel groups and buzzy new design
hotels haven’t yet set their sights on Turin. Grand Hotel Sitea and Royal Palace
Hotel are the city’s best high-end stays. While ripe for refurbishment, their central
location and guarantee of five-star hospitality makes them the ideal launchpad for
luxury travelers. The most charming boutique hotel in Turin is the family-run
Hotel Victoria Torino, situated on a cobblestone street in the heart of the city’s
historic center. The victorian-style rooms feature antique period furniture and
beds outfitted in liberty print canopies. If you prefer sleek modern spaces, book a
room at B&B Via Stampatori or Hotel Opera35 Suite and Studio, both optimally
located in the city center. For a more local experience, book a characterful Airbnb
run by a superhost, like this tastefully minimalist architect’s house in the lively
Vanchiglia district or this charming apartment with a balcony overlooking the
Quadrilatero Romano district. In the same neighborhood, you’ll find this luxury
historical apartment with exposed wood beams and chandeliers, the perfect
homebase for a subtle taste of the city’s old-world decadence.

Eat
Turin is undoubtedly a culinary capital in its own right, where lunch is an elegant
event and meals come with the promise of quality Piedmontese traditions and a
high standard of the region's local ingredients. The thing about traditional
Piedmontese meals is you better come with a big appetite. While other Italian
regions serve a light antipasti, or appetizer, the Piedmontese antipastos are often
the main event. Meals begin with an assortment of at least 3-5 antipasti dishes,
like vitello tonnato, one of the region’s most popular antipasti dishes, followed by
a traditional assortment of hearty meat and pasta dishes, like agnolotti (meat
ravioli), risotto al barolo (braised beef risotto), or in the fall, rice and pasta dishes
with the famous tartufo d’Alba. If you want to indulge in traditional Piedmontese
dishes while dining among locals in a casual atmosphere, visit Ristorante Da
Mauro and Pastificio Defilippis for the best agnolotti and Ristorante
Consorzio for the finanziera stew. Trattoria Bar Coco’s is another unassuming
local favorite, where traditional fare like vitello tonnato and pasta e fagioli are the
standouts. One of the most popular eateries in Turin is Scannabue, deemed Bib
Gourmand on the Michelin guide for its high quality ingredients and good value.
Come for lunch, order anything and you’ll surely get your money’s worth. For a
less traditional dining experience, head to Magazzino 52, a wine shop and
restaurant, serving innovative interpretations of traditional Piedmontese dishes.
As it’s a small space and a relatively sceney spot for Turin, it’s best to book
ahead. If you prefer a quick lunch, as opposed to a sit-down restaurant, visit
beloved bakery Perino Vesco for pizza and focaccia or Pastificio Baretti di
Ugazio Giovanni, a pasta shop, serving a wide variety of traditional
Piedmontese pasta dishes, which you can select at the counter and eat on the
spot. When you’re ready for dessert, you’re in luck; Piedmont is Italy's leader in
chocolate production and Baratti & Milano is the oldest and best confectionery
to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Source:https://www.gettyimages.ae/detail/news-photo/casa-mollino-is-
photographed-for-madame-figaro-on-may-21-news-photo/519813794
(Suggested image: museo casa mollino)
Do
Museo Casa Mollino, Italian architect Carlo Mollino’s former apartment located
on the first floor of Villa Avondo, has lured the fashion crowd from Milan to Turin
for a day trip (45 minutes by train). The apartment features all of the original
furnishings designed and chosen by Mollino and has been arranged to illustrate
its original setting, displaying a profound look into Mollino’s professional and
creative vision. Stay in Turin a while longer and you’ll uncover the art and culture
scene that brews beneath its surface. Historic museums set within ornate
palazzos occupy much of the city, like Palazzo Madama, Turin’s municipal
museum of ancient art and Palazzo Reale di Torino, a 16th-century palace built
for the House of Savoy. The city’s rich historical landmarks also double as
centers for the modern art community that’s beginning to flourish here.
Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli is an art gallery housed on the top floor
of the Lingotto building, formerly the Fiat factory, which was founded in 1899 by
Giovanni Agnelli. Fiat’s historic test track, Pista 500 can be found on the roof of
the building as an exhibition space for rotating artistic installations. Another ode
to Turin’s rich automotive history is Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile, an
automobile museum that hosts a rare collection of over 200 original cars of 80
brands from around the world. Other notable contemporary art spaces include
Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, a non-profit contemporary art space
founded by the art collector, and Castello di Rivoli, a contemporary art museum
featuring works from the 1960’s to present-day and set in a 17th-century castle.
Fondazione Merz is set in a former heating plant from the 1930’s and features
the collaborative work of husband-and-wife artist duo, Mario and Marisa Merz. If
you have more time (and room in your stomach), take a day trip (one-hour by
train) to Alba, Piedmont’s culinary mecca (known for its white truffles) and the
capital of Italy’s leading wine region.