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Centro Storico

Royal centre around Piazza Castello

Turin's grand historic core with royal palaces and arcades, from Piazza Castello and the Royal Palace to the Egyptian Museum and Mole Antonelliana.

A typical historic palazzo in Turin's centro storico with a classical facade and characteristic wrought-iron balconies.

Turin's grand historic heart

The Centro Storico is Turin's historic and touristic centre, and the best starting point for most first-time visitors. Around the monumental Piazza Castello cluster the big names: the Royal Palace, Palazzo Madama, the cathedral with the Shroud, the Egyptian Museum and – a few steps further – the Mole Antonelliana. Nothing here is more than a pleasant stroll away.

A baroque grid city

Unlike the medieval tangle of many Italian cities, Turin's centre is laid out on a strict grid – a legacy of its Roman founding and the baroque expansion under the House of Savoy. Wide, dead-straight avenues such as Via Roma link the main squares, and 18 kilometres of arcades make strolling a pleasure whether it's sunny or raining. Elegant shops, historic cafés and patisseries line the way between the palaces.

Ideal for staying

First-time visitors to Turin will find Centro Storico the most practical base: all the main sights are within walking distance, and in the evening you're quickly in the nightlife districts of Quadrilatero or San Salvario. Demand for the location reflects this – it's somewhat pricier than the outer districts.

Around Centro Storico

Piazza Castello with Palazzo Madama and the Royal Palace is the cultural heart of Turin and the centre of Savoy rule.

Piazza Castello

Turin's monumental main square, home to Palazzo Reale, Palazzo Madama, Teatro Regio and San Lorenzo. Free to visit and the ideal starting point.

Front facade of the Palazzo Reale on Piazza Castello with Italian and EU flags in bright sunshine.

Palazzo Reale

The Savoy royal palace and heart of the Musei Reali – state rooms, the Royal Armoury, Galleria Sabauda, library and Guarini's Shroud Chapel.

Close-up of an ancient Egyptian granite pharaoh statue in the Museo Egizio in Turin against a dark exhibition backdrop.

Egyptian Museum Turin

Turin's Egyptian Museum is the oldest in the world and, after Cairo, the most important – around 40,000 objects from 3,000 years of pharaonic culture.

Close-up of the Mole Antonelliana from below, showing its distinctive dome and stepped spire against a blue sky.

Mole Antonelliana

At 167 m, the Mole is Turin's landmark. Inside is the Museo Nazionale del Cinema, and up top a viewing platform at 85 m with a glass panoramic lift.