ITALY - "You're Only Supposed to Blow the Bloody Doors Off"

I have now started my return journey to the UK, but I have not gone far having relocated to Turin but it is considerably colder here. Turin is of course the setting for my favourite film "The Italian Job"

Transport in Turin is in the form of a fully automatic, rubber tyred, VAL metro system. The best seats are at the front where you can pretend to drive the train!

Lingotto, to the south of the city centre is the site of the former FIAT factory (if you didn't know the T in FIAT stands for Torino). The factory is still there and has been repurposed as a shopping, hotel and cinema venue, with offices and of course the now obligatory Covid vaccination centre! Fans of The Italian Job will know that there was a test track on the roof of the factory and this featured in the film. That test track has recently had a roof top garden installed and is open to the public.

The factory from the outside

This ramp allowed cars to access the different floors and the roof

All that's missing is a Mini Cooper

In winter the garden doesn't look much but it must be a nice open space in the built up area in the summer

Back in the city centre - remember the bit in the film when the Mini's came down some steps at a church interrupting a wedding? That was filmed here, the railings must be a later addition.

And the Mini's crossed the River Po on this weir.

Just like when I visited the site of The Great Escape in Poland, don't expect any references to the film in Turin. It was a British film for a British audience and basically took the Mickey out of the Italians, so no merchandising here I'm afraid.

Moving on from the film, before the formation of the Italian state, Turin was in the Duchy of Savoy, the royal palace in the city centre is the big ticket site to see. It is the usual sequence of over decorated rooms but the real stand out  one for me is the Duke's armoury that has the armour displayed on mannequins and old wooden horses covered with proper horse hair.

Grand staircase ceiling

The chapel of the Royal Palace forms a link between the palace and the cathedral which is part of the same building. It was originally the place where the Turin Shroud was kept in a casket above the altar. The shroud was moved to the cathedral proper so that the chapel could be restored and as part of that restoration the chapel suffered a devastating fire. The chapel was rebuilt but the shroud remains in the cathedral.

The altar that contained the shroud

When it comes to Christmas trees Turin has clearly decided one is not enough - that's just being greedy Turin! They also have a rather groovy Advent Calendar too