Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
History
Whether the ancient city of Taurisia began as a Celtic or Ligurian settlement is unknown:
it was destroyed by Hannibal in 218 BC. The Roman colony of Augusta Taurinorum was
established here almost two centuries later. In succeeding years, Goths, Lombards and
Franks tramped through the city. In 1563 the Savoys abandoned their old capital of Cham-
béry (now in France) to set up court in Turin, which shared the dynasty's fortunes there-
after. The Savoys annexed Sardinia in 1720, but Napoleon virtually put an end to their
power when he occupied Turin in 1798. Turin was occupied by Austria and Russia before
Vittorio Emanuele I restored the House of Savoy and re-entered Turin in 1814. Neverthe-
less, Austria remained the true power throughout northern Italy until the Risorgimento in
1861, when Turin became the nation's inaugural capital. Its capital status lasted only until
1864, and the parliament had already moved to Florence by the time full-sized chambers
were completed.
Turin adapted quickly to its loss of political significance, becoming a centre for indus-
trial production during the early 20th century. Giants such as Fiat lured hundreds of thou-
sands of impoverished southern Italians to Turin and housed them in vast company-built
and -owned suburbs. Fiat's owners, the Agnelli family (who also happen to own the
Juventus football club, Turin's local newspaper and a large chunk of the national daily
Corriere della Sera
), remain one of Italy's most powerful establishment forces. Fiat's for-
tunes declined later in the 20th century, however, and only revived around a decade ago.
The highly successful 2006 Winter Olympics were a turning point for the city. The
Olympics not only ushered in a building boom, including a brand-new metro system, but
also transformed Turin from a staid industrial centre into a vibrant metropolis. Turin was
European Capital of Design in 2008, hosting conferences and exhibitions, and the national
focus of celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the Risorgimento in 2011.
