The Castle square in Turin

This square is the real fulcrum of Turin: this has always been the central point of the life of this city, since the Roman age. The square is surrounded by arcades on three sides in four, every one built in a different period, and in the centre rise Palazzo Madama, or the castle that gives name to the square. From here the four big streets of Turin start: Via Roma, Via Pietro Micca, Via Po and Via Garibaldi, the latter is a pedestrian street since 1998 and it’s one of the longest of Europe. This square was planned in 1584 from Ascanio Vitozzi, in the square there was the Castle yet which was built in 1200. This Castle was perfectly integrated in the new project and later embellished by the baroque façade made by Filippo Juvarra. Important palaces gives onto the square: The Royal Theatre, built in 1700; The Palace of Giunta Regionale; The Government Palace, nowadays seat of the Prefecture; The Armory and the Royal Library, the latter keeps works of Leonardo da Vinci. The Castle is surrounded by three statues: the Alfiere dell’Esercito sardo by Vincenzo Vela, which is in front of the façade of Palazzo Madama; the Cavalieri d’Italia, made by Pietro Canonica, and the Emanuele Filiberto duca d’Aosta based on a project made by Eugenio Baroni.