February 2, 2006

There are 163 piazzas, or public squares, in Torino.  Piazza San Carlo is called the “drawing room” of Torino, a 17th century square designed by Carlo di Castellamonte surrounded by 19th century cafes and pasticceries, all beneath the ornate facades of the walking arcades.  On my first day, I had a light lunch at Caffe San Carlo, which opened in 1822 and was once frequented by writers such as Alexandre Dumas and Edmondo De
Amicis.  At the center of the square is a magnificent statue of a man on a horse that locals simply call “caval ‘d brons,” which means “the bronze horse.”  Created by Carlo Marocchetti in 1838, the statue depicts Emanuele Filiberto after his victory at San Quintino in 1557.  After a victorious soccer match by the city’s famed Juventus team, fans assemble around the statue to celebrate the victory.  They celebrate often:  the team famous for its black and white uniform, has won 28 national championships, making it the most successful Italian “football” franchise in history.
 
Around the perimeter of the square is one of the major attractions of Torino, the Museo Egizio, which I hope to find time to visit.  Founded in 1824 by Carlo Felice of Savoy, it is considered to house the second most important collection of Egyptian artifacts in the world after Cairo, covering over 5,000 years of Egyptian civilization.  At the end of the square are two beautiful Baroque churches, Santa Cristina and San Carlo, with Via Roma – the central shopping street – in between.  It is a wonderful place to simply walk around and watch people, particularly on a nice day, so that you can see the Alps in the distance.  It’s a great way to spend an hour doing nothing, but feeling like you’re learning a lot.