Torino: 4 days, 3 Museums

Pausing for some down time between museum visits is essential!

I love visiting Italian cities and their many fabulous museums. But … too much museum time can be overwhelming! The last thing I want to do when exploring a new place is to spend all of my time dashing from one museum to the next in an effort to see it all. Travel is so much more enjoyable when there is a balance between select museum visits and time for all the other things a city has to offer - gardens, architecture, music, nature, markets (especially markets!), out-of-the-way neighborhoods, outdoor monuments, shops. Just sitting in a cafe sipping a cappuccino or a having a glass of wine in a local enoteca, watching daily life unfold around me, is a huge part of the fun.

When I visited Torino last fall I spent many happy hours wandering through the center of town, exploring the Quadilatero Romano neighborhood, enjoying the large piazzas and doing some window shopping. I also made plans to visit two museums - the Musei Reale (The Royal Museums, which include the Palace of the Savoys and the Chapel of the Shroud) and the Museo Egizio (Egyptian Museum). Truth be told, it was the Savoy Palace that I most wanted to see. The whole idea of Egyptians in Italy seemed a bit strange to me, but it was top of the wish list for my travel companion, and highly recommended by several friends, so I was game to give it a try (and I am very glad that I did).

The entrance hall of the Royal Palace in Torino.

To fit both venues into a short visit, and avoid museum overload, we booked a combined tour through the agency Get Your Guide. The approximately 4 hour tour began at the Royal Museums and finished in the Egyptian Museum. Sofia, our tour guide, was fantastic and balanced explanations in both Italian and English for our mixed-language group of about 10 people. She was equally knowledgeable about the Royal Museums and the Egyptian Museum. She achieved the perfect mix of fact, legend, history, and interpretation of the exhibits.

Throne Room, Royal Palace

The two museums are dramatically different. The grand staircase in the Savoy Palace, the beautiful furnishings, the history of the Savoy family which is integral to the birth of modern Italy, all speak of a gracious and easily imagined era. Because the palace is still furnished, there is a real sense of how the Savoys lived here - the elegant Throne Room, the opulent dining room, the ball room, the hidden balconies for musicians, the exquisite wood work, the sculptures. The opulence is dazzling.

There is also a long gallery filled with a collection of armor and armaments. You can even get to know the former king’s favorite horses! Something fascinating is to be found around every corner.

The tour of the palace ended in the chapel build to house the Shroud of Turin. The chapel was fairly recently reopened after more than 20 years of restoration following a fire. The Shroud itself is nowhere to be seen (the nearby Duomo hosts an informative shroud exhibit but the real thing is too valuable to display), but the chapel itself is a work of art. The architecture, especially of the unique cupola (dome), and the sculptures are breathtaking (or, to use one of my favorite Italian words, mozzafiato!). The chapel was the perfect ending to the Royal Museums tour.

The multilayer hexagonal dome in the Chapel of the Holy Shroud rises high above the dark marble interior of the chapel.

On the other hand, and from a very different era, the Egyptian museum is filled with mummies and sarcophagi.

The story of how Torino came to host this collection of artifacts - and the faked Egyptian artifact that started the collection - made a fun story at the start of the tour. The guide’s explanations put this remote era into perspective and helped the artifacts blend together into a cohesive story. I was glad to have experienced this!

Although my goal was to just see these two museums, our last morning in Torino was gray and rainy. Not a good day for the outdoor exploration we had planned.

Instead, my companion and I walked over to see the Mole Antonelliana. This architectural stunner, designed by Alessandro Antonelli, is the symbol of Torino. It is such an iconic image in Italy that it is engraved on the Italian 2 euro coin. The spire rises high above the city and is visible from quite a distance. Once upon a time this was the tallest brick building in the world, it may still be the most beautiful. The bottom of the building is square, with another square portion siting on top. Above that rises a dome, topped by a very tall spire.

The Mole Antonelliana as seen from the gardens of the Royal Museums

Up those cables travels the elevator - quite the view !

Right through the middle of the building’s interior a glass elevator rides up cables to give visitors a view from high above.

Originally destined to become a synagogue (no doubt without that elevator), today the building houses the Museo Nazionale del Cinema (National Cinema Museum).

I had not intended to go to inside the museum, but the outside of the building was so impressive that I really wanted to get a peak inside. I was totally unprepared for the experience of the cinema museum inside the Mole Antonelliana. A riot of sound, color, and visual effects fill the main hall. Big screens around the room show a variety of videos - there were even lounge chairs to sit back and take it all in! Exhibits trace the history of movies back to shadow images, stereoscopes, and the science of optics. There are collections of movie posters, costumes, special effects, and characters. It was too much to appreciate in a single short visit and definitely a place I will return to on my next trip to Torino (I think my grandkids would love it too).

The next time I get to Torino there are even more museums to visit - Ancient art in the Palazzo Madama and Italian national history at the Museo Nazionale del Risorgimento. I am glad that I didn’t try to do them all in a single trip!

November

November is a gentle month here in Lucca. The tourists, who returned this summer and lingered into September and October, have mostly returned to their homes. Lucca Comics and Games, smaller than usual this year but still bringing lots of costumed visitors to town over the Halloween weekend, has come and gone. We may have given up our summer Aperol Spritzes in favor of deep red wines but we are still enjoying outdoor seating at cafes. I am thankful for the ones that have set up heaters so that we can continue to sip a morning cappuccino or an evening aperitivo outside in a pretty piazza.

Of course the very best part of November is the explosion of color throughout Lucca. A walk along Le Mura (the ancient wall surrounding the historic center of town) is a kaleidoscope of changing views. The wall makes a complete circuit, so that some parts face north, others south, still others east or west. Each section is planted with different types of trees and receives varied amounts of sun and shade, so the type of foliage varies as does the progress of color change and the dropping of leaves. In November, the reds, golds, yellows, and browns provide a complex palette of hues. They contrast with the evergreen pine trees, the green of grass and moss, and the ever changing skies.

Along the southern stretch of the wall.

November walks along the wall engage other senses as well - the sound of dried leaves crunching under foot (or the squish of wet ones on rainy days) and the gentle touch of leaves drifting overhead like a colorful snow storm. But beware the less gentle feel of a chestnut falling on your head! And as a bonus - the distant sound of church bells ringing gives many of my November walks a pleasing soundtrack.

A view towards the Church of St. Gemma, outside the walls of Lucca.

Not all the colorful action takes place on the walls. From the walls, the views out over the larger city of Lucca are also full of fall beauty. And those distant hills!

Distant hills make a dramatic backdrop to the walls northern section.

Throughout town the season is changing too. A walk through the botanic gardens is enchanting at this time of year. The trees ringing Piazza Napoleone are changing colors too. Not all the color is on the trees - colorful scarfs are wrapped around the necks of everyone to ward off the chilly weather.

Piazza Napoleone

Street vendors are beginning to roast chestnuts, a smell that hints of winter just around the corner. And while many of the Americans here are beginning to plan Thanksgiving dinners (we are oh so thankful that we can gather together this year), local shops are already beginning to display Christmas goods (I am not ready for that yet!)

Fall in the Orto Botanico (Botanic Garden)

November here is so lovely - the chilly mornings, the long hours of dusk, the mild temperatures, the colorful trees, even the scattered rain showers. Lucca continues to enchant.

The Quadrilatero Romano : A Different Side of Torino

Like many Italian cities, Torino (Turin) has Roman roots. But that history is less obvious here than in places like Rome, Verona or even the small town of Lucca where I live. In Torino, you have to hunt a bit for its Roman beginnings.

The Quadrilatero Romano is where Torino began; where the Roman city stood. It stretches north and west from the Palazzo Madama. Today it is a characteristic and vibrant neighborhood. But look closely and the traces of Rome appear.

The most obvious Roman feature is the Porta Palatina, the only one of the Roman gates into the city which remains. It rises at the northern end of the Quadrilatero, where it has stood since the 1st century BC. The central portion has a stretch of arches, larger ones for vehicles and pedestrians at ground level with two levels of windows above . The archways are flanked at either end by a pair of polygonal towers. It’s easy to imagine Roman chariots passing under the large main arch. Nearby is a stretch of Roman wall, in the same brick. The Roman theater was also located in this area and other Roman ruins can be found nearby.

Beyond its Roman roots, the Quadrilatero is a unique area with a small village feel, quite different from the other areas of central Torino. The streets are narrow and dressed up with pretty street lamps and small balconies. Interesting shops, cafes, and restaurants dot the streets. It’s a place that makes you want to linger.

Overhead are a series of colorful banners identifying the Contrada dei Guardinfanti. A contrada is a district, but I have to admit that I had no idea what a guardinfanti was. Something for guarding babies? Nope, not even close. The banners mark this area as the district where merchants of the particular contraption which went under a ladies dress giving it a full appearance - called guardinfanti - had their shops. Clearly these were not Roman merchants, but from a later more fashionable era! Today their banners contribute to the unique old world feel of this neighborhood.

One of the largest piazzas in the Quadrilatero, at its western edge, is the Piazza della Consolata. This is a lovely square and the perfect place to stop for one of Torino’s signature treats - a Bicerin. The Bicerin is a hot drink with layers of coffee, chocolate, and cream. I saw two variations in Torino - one with 3 distinct layers and another with two layers (with the coffee and chocolate combined in a single layer). There is no better spot to sample one than at Caffe` Bicerin in Piazza della Consolata. Not too sweet, with just the right blend of coffee and chocolate. I had to try one in the name of research, right? As for the accompanying plate of cookies, I have no excuse!

After sipping a Bicerin, a step across the piazza leads to the Santuario della Consolata (Church of the Virgin of the Consolation). The somewhat plain exterior of this church did nothing to prepare me for the ornate and colorful interior, including a most interesting crypt. Unlike most crypts, which tend to be dark and undecorated, this one was spectacular with very elaborate decoration. A jewel box of a small church.

Whenever I visit a new place I always find myself wondering what it would be like to live there. In the case of Torino, I would happily live in the trendy Quadrilatero neighborhood. But I’d have to remember to limit my Bicerin consumption!

An Italian Seaside Dinner

I’ve been back in Italy for a few weeks now and, while I love being in Lucca, sometimes I long for open spaces and the sound of the sea. So, when friends recently suggested an evening trip to the coast for dinner I replied with an excited YES! I didn’t even ask where exactly we were going - sometimes it’s fun just to be surprised.

The evening delivered a host of very pleasant surprises. First, a pretty back roads drive to Viareggio, about 30 minutes from Lucca. Then, Viareggio itself. Well known for its raucous Carnevale celebrations, graceful Liberty-style buildings and grand hotels, Viareggio is also a beach town. It has a long promenade along the water lined with private beach clubs, shops, cafes and restaurants. It’s a fun seaside town and in early September it still has its summer vibe.

After a short walk along the promenade, we headed to restaurant La Pia, inside one of the private beach clubs. Another surprise - this is no casual beachside restaurant. La Pia is elegant with all white decor broken up only by some greenery, the colorful beach umbrellas in the distance, and the evolving magic of a tramonto al mare (sunset at the sea).

Sunset in Viareggio viewed from our table at La Pia

Considering its seaside location, it’s no surprise that La Pia has a menu full of wonderful seafood dishes. How to choose between the seafood pastas, the fresh grilled fish, the fritto misto (mix of fried seafood)? In the end we shared a light and crispy fritto misto as a starter. With such a hearty appetizer, we skipped a pasta course and each opted for the grilled branzino (sea bass) as a main dish. It was perfectly cooked and beautifully presented on a pool of pureed vegetables. Some grilled eggplant and zucchini made a perfect side dish. The fish paired nicely with a glass of Prosecco.

I was determined to skip desert, really I was. But my companions opted to indulge, one in an gelato covered chocolate truffle and the other in Crepes Suzette. Dessert came with a dose of drama as the copper brazier was wheeled table-side to flame the sauce for the crepes. Delicate, not too sweet, and topped with tiny shreds of orange and lemon peel and a little scoop of gelato it was a good ending to the meal (I admit, I did end up sharing the crepes, so much for good intentions).

The food was great and the company wonderful. The sound of the ocean was soothing. But the sunset - it was pure magic to watch the sky turn red and the sun slowly sink into the sea.

Under Italian Skies

Another week of August vacation, another photo post. This week, Italian skies.

It is hard to describe what is so special about the sky in Italy. There is just some combination of color, light, and connection to land, sea, or city that work in harmony. No matter the season or whether the skies are bright blue, filled with soft clouds, or dark and stormy, they are always beautiful. And the sky at sunset, that’s simply magic! I feel so fortunate to be living under Italian skies and I can hardly wait to return to Lucca in late August.

A storm brewing in Volterra

A clear summer day’s sky in Lerici

An early spring sky in Sant’Andrea di Compito

Wispy clouds in Bagnone

Dramatic skies over Pisa

The sky in Lucca makes the perfect back drop for sculpture.

This sky along the River Arno in Florence almost looks like a painting.

Sunset in the Val d’Orcia turns the sky a beautiful shade of pink.

Dusk along the wall in Lucca.