The Borgo Medievale
The scholarly village of 1884 — five centuries in a lane.
Gianni Careddu — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Benjamin Smith — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Emmanuelbaltasar — CC BY-SA 4.0 · GianLuk30 — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Valentino is Turin's green bank: half a million metres on the Po holding a French-styled royal castle (the Castello del Valentino — today the architecture faculty, façade to the river), a rock-and-rose garden that is the city's loveliest romantic corner, and a river promenade lined with boats and drink kiosks on the water. Its beloved oddity is the Borgo Medievale: a complete medieval village with castle, walls and craftsmen — built by the 1884 exposition as a scholarly replica of Piedmont's castles and hamlets, and still working: lanes, workshops and shops entered free as through five centuries (the inner castle by short tour). It is Turin's favourite Sunday-evening promenade — and rowing the Po the city's old rite: the boat clubs' flags line the far bank.
The scholarly village of 1884 — five centuries in a lane.
Roses, rills and a bridgelet — Turin's romantic corner.
Boats, kiosks, the hill domes opposite.
Corso Massimo d'Azeglio, 10126 Turin
Castello del ValentinoCastello del Valentino may be the strangest building you will walk into in Europ1 minute walk4.6
Cesare Lombroso Museum of Criminal AnthropologyIn a glass case at the entrance to one of the rooms stands a man's skeleton. It 8 minutes walk4.5
National Mountain Museum (Duca degli Abruzzi)In August 1874 the city of Turin, at the proposal of the Italian Alpine Club's T14 minutes walk4.3
Monte dei CappucciniOn the Capuchin knoll above the Po's right bank stands a small church with a kin14 minutes walk4.6
Regional Museum of Natural SciencesIn the middle of the hall stands a stuffed Indian elephant called Fritz, who arr15 minutes walk4.3Not fake but research: the 1884 scholars' committee copied standing Piedmont buildings stone by stone and fresco by fresco as an educational display — and the public's love forbade the planned demolition. It is now among Europe's truest historical replicas, outliving many originals.
The lung-break between central museums: ninety minutes — Borgo, rock garden, kiosk coffee on the water — then back to town. Or its full Sunday evening, for whoever wants the Turin of its people over the Turin of its sights.