This square is the true fulcrum of Turin, it is here that the life of the city has developed, from the Roman era to the Risorgimento.
Piazza Castello as it appears today, was designed by the architect Ascanio Vitozzi in 1584 at the behest of Duke Carlo Emanuele I.
The square, surrounded on three sides by elegant arcades built in different periods, is the setting for important city palaces to be seen: the austere Royal Palace, residence of the king of Sardinia until 1659, and then by Vittorio Emanuele II King of Italy, until 1865; the Teatro Regio; the Palazzo della Giunta Regionale; the Palazzo del Governo (now the seat of the Prefecture); of the Secretariats; the Armory and the Royal Library, containing the famous sanguine self-portrait by Leonardo da Vinci.
The heart of the square is the imposing Palazzo Madama, the ancient castle from which it takes its name, surrounded by three monuments; the sculpture dedicated to the Bishop of the Sardinian Army, the equestrian monument that celebrates the Knights of Italy and the statue of Emanuele Filiberto, Duke of Savoy.
Piazza Castello is also the point where the four major arteries of Turin converge: Via Roma, Via Pietro Micca, Via Po and Via Garibaldi, one of the longest pedestrian streets in Europe.
USEFULL INFO
Opening hours:Â open air
How to reach: Tram 4, 7, 13, 15, Bus 11, 13N, 19, 27, 50, 51, 55, 56, 57, 92, 3904, 3991, N04, N10, S04, W01, W15, W60
Address: Piazza Castello
