Spots in Torino
National Museum of Cinema
Looking up in the National Museum of Cinema
As mentioned in the Introduction, Torino is a fantastic city for museums. This one is located in the iconic Mole Antonelliana, and therefore it purportedly holds the title of ‘world’s tallest museum’ standing at 548 feet. Inside, the museum feels grand and, well, cinematic. You can move through interactive exhibitions about the history of cinema, “spiraling upwards through several exhibition levels, creating a spectacular display of its extraordinary collections and retracing the history of cinema from its origins to the present time,” as stated on the official museum website.
Lounge chair relaxing in Temple Hall
The ‘Temple Hall’ is a rather surreal looking space in which visitors can relax on chaise lounge chairs and gaze up at films projected on large screens above. The museum, based on a collection started by Maria Adriana Prolo, was originally housed in the Palazzo Chiablese. It opened to the public in 1958. Only in the year 2000 did the museum reopen at this location. It feels fresh and contemporary, and indeed, commits to using ‘digital strategies to improve the visiting experience of all kinds of audiences.’ There are plenty of ‘hands on’ exhibitions to create a fully immersive and educational experience at the same time, such as the ‘green screen’ display, pictured below.
Experiments with green screen at the National Museum of Cinema
If you are a fan of film, expect to spend at least a few hours here and to feel blissfully disoriented when it is time to leave.
Another museum that we enjoyed was MAO – Museo d’Arte Orientale (unfortunate acronym) but very cool. Check out exhibitions they have on offer.
Parco del Valentino
A lovely little waterfall in the Parco del Valentino
This park has been compared to New York’s Central Park. Interestingly, Parco del Valentino is only Turin’s second largest park, as Pellerina Park ranks number one. That said, Parco del Valentino is more central and in close proximity to the ‘Zona San Salvario’ where I have recommended restaurants and bars. Furthermore, Parco del Valentino was Italy’s first public garden, opened by the city in 1856. Thus, although it does not claim the title of ‘the largest’, it is the ‘oldest’, and the area is truly lovely. You will see waterfalls and curated botanical gardens.
In fact, there is even a Borgo Medievale (medieval village) in the confines of the park, although not authentically ‘medieval' as it was created in 1884 for the Italian General Exhibition. Also within the park is the Valentino Castle, now a part of university, the Politecnico di Torino. It is also part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Residences of the Royal House of Savoy. A popular way to explore the park is by bike; you can rent a ‘sociable’ bike, where riders sit side by side and both peddle. We rented one of these ‘manual golf carts’ and explored the length of the park.
Having a relaxing beer at Imbarchino del Valentino
Either before or after your peddling adventure, stop for a beer down by the Po River at l’Imbarchino, now called Imbarchino del Valentino, as it sadly closed after floods in 2016, but has reopened. The panoramic river views are lovely, and because you have to walk down stairs to reach it, you feel like you are in a hidden oasis under the vine draped pergola or out on the wooden benches where we perched.
Expressing disappointment at my own lapse in planning amidst the crowd of people outside of the Egyptian Museum in Torino
Regrets…I’ve had a few. Be sure to BOOK tickets for Egyptian museum ahead of time! You should also book the observation deck for the Mole Antonelliana.