VALENTINO PARK
The French architect Le Corbusier praised Turin as “the city with the most beautiful natural location” The proximity to the Alps accounts for some of the beauty, but a significant part comes from Turin’s extensive parks and gardens, and its hundreds of kilometres of tree-lined streets. In total more than 17 parks, and the new Parco Dora will eventually provide another 45 hectares of greenery for the Torinese. It’s no wonder that for many this is Italy’s greenest city. To fully enjoy the charm of the hill that embraces the city and the banks of the River Po, Turin can also be admired from the Valentino boat, which takes the visitor on an evocative river trip from the Murazzi up to the Medieval Village: six to eight kilometres long, the boat’s progress up and down stream unfolds views of entrancing buildings, majestic bridges, luxurious gardens, as well as the Castle of the Valentino and the fascinating Medieval Village. Built for the Italian Universal Exhibition in 1884, this Village reproduces a number of typical medieval building types. The first rowing clubs were founded during the years at the turn of the 20th century: the Esperia and the Armida. Whole generations have devoted themselves to the ‘oar’ and various champions have brought much prestige to their city, united by their love for the Po, a marvellous sports backdrop.
