The Italian Jaunt

Slovenia was my original destination, but once I began plotting a train journey across Europe and saw all the places I’d be missing, I focused my attention on northwest Italy, specifically Turin, Milan and Lake Como (via Lyon and Zurich).

After a mad dash around Lyon on the first day of my trip, I decided to alternate the days I’m traipsing around cities with those spent doing less strenuous things like taking advantage of nearby attractions like a hotel’s pool. Be it dogged experience or tired legs, either way its a sign of old age.

Taking time to explore the local area makes a lot of sense here in Lingotto, a district of Turin made famous by its old Fiat factory. You may recognise it from The Italian Job and the test track on its roof.

This 500 meter long, modular five-storey building designed by Giacomo Matté-Trucco was the largest building of its kind when it opened 100 years ago, with Le Corbusier remarking that it was “one of the most impressive sights in industry”.

What was avant-garde in 1923 was outdated 60 years later. Fiat closed the factory in 1982 and, wanting to turn it into a “piece of the city”, an international architectural competition was held to decide on its redevelopment.

Renzo Piano won with a plan to retain the factory’s outward design and internal structure yet place within its walls a conference centre, auditorium, shopping arcade, offices and two hotels (guess where I’ve been staying).

On its roof he placed the Bolla (‘Bubble’), a meeting venue with attached helipad, suspended 40 meters in the air (surely inspiration for Rian Johnson’s Glass Onion). Also present, a large steel box housing Giovanni Agnelli’s fine art collection (a ‘treasure trove’ covered by a ‘flying carpet’, apparently).

A functional, featureless and utilitarian building, perhaps it was felt such adornments were necessary, but they feel superfluous and distract from the original form.

So too with the test track. I was hoping to find a swathe of unspoilt tarmac, but this has been rechristened La Pista 500; an artistic and environmental installation that covers large portions of it. Any hope of climbing the parabolic curves was met with a loud whistle from one of the gallery’s security team.

Come for the repurposed car factory, stay for the derelict white elephant. In the vicinity lies Oval Lingotto, the venue used for speed skating during the 2006 Winter Olympics. Across the railway yard, site of the former Olympic village, more recently occupied by refugees. Connecting these two areas is an elevated pedestrian walkway held aloft by the large red Olympic Arch.

This bridge crudely adjoins a covered walkway for Lingotto’s car park, while on the other side it lands on the site of a former market place (the Mercati Ortofrutticoli all’Ingrosso), now closed and boarded up.

The market’s skeletal concrete supports remain. A newer building, stained by former ‘torino 2006’ lettering, marks the spot of this failed Olympic regeneration project and yet another building unable to find a purpose beyond the 2 weeks it was constructed for.

Thankfully this nearby abundance of concrete and its associated history was more than enough to keep me entertained. With the otherwise conveniently located metro closed not reopening until 3 September, getting into central Turin became a bit more complicated.

Many other businesses are closed over summer too. As Turin’s citizens head to warmer (or cooler) climbs, they leave behind a suspiciously peaceful city full wandering tourists. Like myself. Having boarded the regional train to Torino Porta Susa, I wandered into the Centro district.

As is so often the case when visiting a European city, I eventually found myself in a royal palace walking from gilded room to gilded room.

I tend not to enjoy these gaudy displays of opulence (as a thought exercise, imagine future tourists walking around the homes of Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk), yet there’s often a surprise to be found.

In Turin’s Royal Palace, it’s the Chapel of the Holy Shroud (Cappella della Sacra Sindone). The shroud isn’t viewable to the public, but never mind, Guarino Guarini’s complex, self-supporting dome is just as beguiling.

Another thing I like to do when travelling is climb to the top of a tall building. So, for reasons unknown, I tightly clang on to the steel hand railings, not trusting the creaky and vertiginous staircase that wound its way up Turin Cathedral’s bell tower. After much sweating and heavy breathing, I was rewarded with a view that was equally as breathtaking. Perhaps quite literally, given the region’s poor air quality.