Turin, Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta

Turin, Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta Travel Guide

Capital of the Piedmont region of northwest Italy, Turin -- Torino, in Italian -- had many claims to distinction before being chosen to host the 2006 Winter Olympics. The controversial relic called the Sacra Sindone (Holy Shroud), believed by many to be the cloth in which Christ's body was wrapped when he was taken down from the cross, has been housed in the city's cathedral since the 16th century. In the mid-19th century, Piedmont was one of the principal centers of the Risorgimento, the movement for Italian unity, and it was Turin's Chamber of Deputies that declared Italy a united kingdom in 1861. Following unification, Piedmont became one of the first industrialized regions in Italy, and Turin is still the center of the Italian automotive industry. FIAT -- the Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino -- was founded here in 1899. The manufacture of candy and chocolate is another Turinese specialty.