Torino

Turin (Torino), the capital of Piedmont, is one of Italy's most underrated major cities — a city of magnificent Baroque architecture, excellent museums, a genuine food culture of extraordinary refinement and an industrial heritage (it is the home of Fiat and Juventus) that gives it a different character from the art cities of central Italy. The Egyptian Museum (Museo Egizio) is the most important Egyptian museum outside Cairo — its collection of mummies, papyri, canopic jars and monumental sculpture is unmatched outside Egypt. The Royal Palace (Palazzo Reale), the Royal Armoury and the Savoy residences (a UNESCO World Heritage group of palaces in and around Turin) reflect the wealth and taste of the House of Savoy. The Mole Antonelliana, a 19th-century secular spire that has become the city's symbol, houses the National Cinema Museum. Turin's Baroque arcaded streets (portici) running for kilometres through the city centre are perfect for bad-weather exploration. The food and drink culture here is extraordinary: Turin invented Vermouth, Campari was created nearby, bicerin (a layered coffee-chocolate-cream drink served in traditional cafés) was born here, and gianduja chocolate (the basis of Nutella) is Piedmontese. The winter truffle season (October–December) brings white truffles from Alba (50km). Turin is the gateway to excellent skiing (Sestrière, 90km). An excellent and affordable alternative to the more visited Italian cities.