Category: Tour

Have you ever experienced that overwhelming emotion when you decide to plan a vacation to a new place? That desire to explore and discover characteristics places, but you find yourself asking “What is there to visit?”. That’s where I come in!

Let me introduce myself,

my name is Ally and I will be your virtual guide accompanying you on a journey to discover Turin and its surroundings.

In various articles, I will tell you about must-see places around Cascina 6b. From majestic lakes to towering mountains, from picturesque villages to vibrant cities, from enchanting natural parks to museum rich in history, the Canavese offers a unique experience for every type of traveler.

Whether you are a nature lover, a culture enthusiast or an adventurer seeking new thrills, I will be your reliable companion on this journey to discover our territory.

Continue reading “Exploring with Ally”

The Basilica of Superga is an iconic place in the Turin city, rich in art and history. It’s a recommended spot if you want to admire all Turin from above.

In 1706, during the War of Spanish Succession, the city was besieged by the French troops and King Victor Amadeus II of Savoy, along with Prince Eugene of Savoy, climbed the hill of Superga to observe the enemy positions. On that occasion, the King made a vow to the Madonna delle Grazie (“Lady of Graces”): if he managed to free the city, he would build a church in her honor.

And so it was.

After the victorious battle of Turin, the King commissioned architect Filippo Juvarra, the same one who designed the Galleria Grande and the Church of Saint Ubert at the Royal Residence of Venaria Reale and the Palazzina di Caccia of Stupinigi, to design the Basilica. The construction began in 1717 and was completed in 1731, creating a true masterpiece of Baroque architecture.

The Basilica of Superga, at 672 meters above sea level, dominates the Turin skyline. From the external balcony of the Dome, accessible via a spiral staircase inside the Basilica, you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the city, the valleys and the mountains.

Continue reading “The Basilica of Superga in Turin”

Today I’m taking you to discover a place rich in history, symbol of innovation and Piedmontese tradition.

I’m talking about Ivrea, a city that has managed to blend the charm of the past with the modernity. Known for the famous Carnival with the historic Battle of the Oranges, Ivrea is also renowned for industrial innovation thanks to the Olivetti company, which revolutionized the design and the technology in the 20th century.

Ivrea is divided into two areas: the Ancient City, identifiable by the monuments present in the streets and alleys of the centre that tell about the Roman and Medieval history, and the Industrial City, made up of buildings from the Olivetti era located along the route of the Mam (Open-air Museum of Modern Olivetti Architecture). Both can be visited independently or, as I recommend, through the WELCOME TOUR, a free tour organized by Turismo Torino (“Turin Tourism”), every first Saturday of the month, to promote the territory. The visit is divided into two routes, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, exploring the wonders of the ancient city and the modern one.

Continue reading “Ivrea, a UNESCO World Heritage city”

Today I want to talk to you about a magical and misterious place, symbol of Lanzo and its valleys.

I’m talking about the Devil’s Bridge, or original name Ponte del Ròch (“Stone Bridge” in Piedmontese), was built at the end of 1300 as a direct connection between the Lanzo Valleys and Turin, crossing the Stura river without passing by the neighboring villages. The cost for its construction was 1400 florins and a tax on wine was imposed on the population of Lanzo for 10 years.

In 1564 a door was constructed on the bridge (of which, nowadays, only the arch is visible) and was closed during outbreaks of epidemics, such as the plague, to prevent contagion from outsiders. In September of that same year a toll was introduced, called “the bill of the place of origin”, marked with the seal of Lanzo; anyone without it could not cross the bridge.

Continue reading “The Devil’s Bridge in the Lanzo Valleys”

For cinema lovers, for those passionate about its history and for those curious about the world of cinema, you absolutely cannot miss a visit to the National Museum of Cinema of Turin. Set up inside the Mole Antonelliana, emblem of the city, the museum’s content unfolds across a five-floor itinerary that occupies the entire dome

Continue reading “Turin, the city of cinema”

Today I will show you a real jewel located just a few minutes from Cascina 6b; it’s about the Plebeian Church of San Maurizio Canavese in the province of Turin.

Some curiosities

The church dates back to the 11th century and has a Romanesque appearance. The original building was reshaped in the 12th century with the formation of three naves and the preservation of the apse and bell tower. 
Since the beginning of the 1700s, internal changes were made, such as the construction of the side altars and the moving of the main altar.
The central nave preserves a suggestive series of frescoes including a pictorial cycle in 24 episodes, created in 1495 by the Pinerolo painters Bartolomeo and Sebastiano Serra, representing scenes from the life of Christ, from the Annunciation to the Crucifixion and death on the Cross, and a series of prophets portrayed in the underarch of the chapel of the Beata Vergine del Santo Rosario (“Blessed Virgin of the Holy Rosary”), between the 1400s and 1500s, of very fine workmanship.

Continue reading “An ancient church just a stone’s throw from Turin”

What’s better than spending an entire day outdoors immersed in nature in total relaxation? In my opinion there is nothing more beautiful.

Today I want to take you around the Parco della Mandria in Venaria Reale.

Some curiosities

The Parco della Mandria, adjacent to the Royal Residence of Venaria Reale, was the first regional park established in Italy in 1978, but its history is much older.

This area, today approximately 2.000 hectares, was born in the 16th century as a hunting reserve for the royal family of the Savoy and equipped for the stay of the king and the court. King Vittorio Amedeo II inserted a horse farm for the royal stables from which the name “La Mandria” (the herd) derived. Afterwards, King Vittorio Emanuele II had the Borgo Castello and other buildings built to live there, it seems, with his morganatic wife Rosa Vercellana, also known as the “Bela Rosin”.

Upon the death of Vittorio Emanuele II the estate passed to the “Medici del Vascello” marquises, during which portions of land were sold for the construction of various residences and a golf course. In 1976 it became property of the Piedmont Region, which established the Regional Park of La Mandria.

Continue reading “A day at the Natural Park of La Mandria”

Hi, today I would like to take you on a journey inside the Egyptian culture. Few populations left so many suggestive proofs of their existence, for this reason, I want to take you to the Egyptian Museum of Turin, the world’s oldest museum devoted entirely to ancient Egyptian culture. As regards value and the quantity of archaeological finds, the Egyptian Museum of Turin is considered the biggest and most important museum of the world, second only to the Egyptian Museum of Cairo.

For sure you are wondering what Egypt has to do with Turin?

We have to thank King Charles Felix of Savoy who in 1824 founded the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities in Turin, acquiring a collection of 5.628 relics collected by Bernardino Drovetti, in addition to the antiquities already owned by the Savoy family.

The Italian Archeological Mission found other relics between 1900 and 1935 which were later added to the museum’s collection.

Nowadays the Egyptian Museum of Turin is located in the Palace of the Academy of Sciences, the impressive seventeenth century building whose construction began in 1679 by the architect Michelangelo Garove on the basis of the original project of Guarino Guarini. 

Starting from the 1980s a new itinerary for visitors with new exhibition spaces was planned, such as a large room designed to house antiquities from the Predynastic Period and Old Kingdom on the ground floor. When the Winter Olympics were held in Turin in 2006, the statuary was rearranged by the set designer Dante Ferretti. The last intervention radically refurbished the spaces, the whole museum itinerary and exhibition facilities with a view to the great reopening in 2015

Continue reading “Welcome To The Museo Egizio Of Turin”

Waiting for spring or summer, when it is possible to walk in the greenery, we have decided to continue the tours among the architectural gems of Turin and its province.

Today we will tell you about the Palazzina of Stupinigi, one of the Residences of the Royal House of Savoy dedicated to hunting and festivities. We will tell you how the origin of the Palazzina were linked to the amusement and how, today, it is the scenario for a perfect and realistic jump in the past, hosting important temporary and permanent exhibitions.

The construction work of the Palazzina of Stupinigi, started in 1798 and was commissioned by Victor Amadeus II of Savoy, for leisure activities, including hunting, the favorite hobby of royals. A pavilion with a few apartments suitable for short breaks, for the duration of hunting trips, has nothing to do with the majesty and ambition of the project of the Royal Residence of Venaria Reale.

However, over the years, the theme of simplicity was slowly abandoned, until the construction of the building that we can visit today, characterized by a sumptuous pavilion dome painted in blue with gold profiles, by frescoed halls which tell the story of the myth of Diana (goddess of hunting and protector of the woods), by a park and the long straight avenue at the entrance, which in the original project allowed to reach the center of the city of Turin.

Continue reading “The Palazzina di caccia di Stupinigi”

From the first days of December, around the 8th to be precise, a clear mechanism triggered in me, which I repeat with a certain perseverance and unconscious dedication throughout the month: every time I come back home, I wear a pair of Christmas socks. It’s probably my way of preparing for the upcoming holidays, my ritual follows roughly the natural course of the life of the fir trees decorated in the houses, from the Immaculate Conception to the Epiphany. If wearing Christmas socks before December 25th allows me to emphasize the eager anticipation of childhood, wearing them afterwards allows me to drag on, for a few more days, that ephemeral and by now too fleeting lightness that Christmas brings with it.

So why not keep these sensations alive by making a roundup of Christmas activities that can be done around Cascina 6b?

Let’s stop all the chit-chat, our grandma would say… stop seeing Christmas movies and eating panettone (Italian Christmas cake) leftovers, let’s enjoy the latest markets, the latest illuminated streets, the latest decorations and the latest cinnamon and ginger biscuits. To begin, I would like to tell you about the “Christmas is Real” event held inside the royal stables of the magical Palazzina di Caccia of Stupinigi.

Continue reading “The magic of holidays”