torino cap 1/2 gb

Turin’s “mountains”
187
Index
206
Colle dell’agnello, 3090 m.
141
monte Niblè, 3365 m.
The long straight roads beyond the toll gates
punta Ferrand, 3348 m.
109
Colle d’Ambin, 2921 m.
The toll gates and nineteenth century expansion of the city
punta Sommeiller, 3332 m.
The Royal roads
passo Galambra, 3057 m.
Cima del vallonetto, 3217 m.
Punta Il villano, 2663 m.
Punta di Mezzodì, 2777 m.
Punta Rocca nera, 2852 m.
punta Pian Paris, 2738 m.
punta Malanotte, 2736 m.
punta Cristalliera, 2801 m.
monte Pian Real, 2617 m.
Rocciavrè, 2778 m.
monte Robinet, 2679 m.
Punta Loson, 2643 m.
Punta del lago, 2527 m.
monte Albergian, 3041 m.
monte Gran Miuls, 2974 m.
Colle della Roussa, 2035 m.
Bric rosso, 3026 m.
monte Uja, 2158 m.
monte Bocciarda, 2213 m.
Becco dell’aquila, 2809 m.
Cugno dell’Alpet, 2072 m.
Punta dell’aquila, 2115 m.
69
Bric Ghinivert, 3037 m.
The new roads built during the 16th and 17th centuries when the city was expanded
punta Rognosa di Sestriere, 3280 m.
51
Rocce del Rouit, 3134 m.
The Roman, orthogonal road networks
monte Platasse, 3149 m.
35
monte Pignerol, 2876 m.
A unique horizon that the people of Turin know and love
punta Ciatagnera, 3294 m.
Roc del Boucher, 3285 m.
17
monte Appenna, 2979 m.
Scenery which hasn’t changed for thousands of year
monte Barifreddo, 3028 m.
11
Tre denti di Cumiana, 1316 m.
The view and drawings of the mountain taken from Monte dei Cappuccini
punta Ramiere, 3303 m.
Col di Rodoretto, 2775 m.
Introduction
Rocca bianca, 2379 m.
punta Vergia, 2990 m.
punta del Gran Miol, 2995 m.
cima Frappier, 3003 m.
punta Bruta, 2785 m.
punta Cialancia, 2855 m.
monte Freidour, 2568 m.
punta Cornour, 2868 m.
Bric Bucie (Bric Bouchet), 2998 m.
monte Costigliole, 2385 m.
punta Vergia, 2397 m.
monte Vantacul, 2298 m.
monte Palavas (Tête du Pelvas), 2929 m.
Pareti di Longir (Crête du Pelvas), 2745 m.
monte Vandalino, 2121 m.
monte Fiunira, 2540 m.
Colle della croce, 2298 m.
punta Barant, 2425 m.
Pic de Segure, 2990 m.
punta Cappello (Pic Ronder), 2839 m.
monte Plenc, 2656 m.
punta Agugliassa, 2791 m.
Crête de la Taillante, 3197 m.
punta Manzol, 2933 m.
Brasajas (Pic Traverse), 2993 m.
monte Granero, 3171 m.
monte Meidassa, 3105 m.
rocce Fourioun, 3153 m.
monte Frioland, 2735 m.
punta Venezia, 3095 m.
punta Roma, 3070 m.
punta Gastaldi, 3214 m.
passo Due dita, 3010 m.
Visolotto, 3348 m.
Monviso, 3841 m.
Viso mozzo, 3019 m.
Index
6
87
The views and drawings
of the mountains
taken from
Monte dei Cappuccini
14
The western
Alps
At the end of the roads of Torino
From the observation point
of the National Museum
of the Mountains
on Monte dei Cappuccini in Turin
you can admire the wonderful view
of the eastern Alpine range
and the most prestigious peaks
which are indicated on the map
on the opposite page.
The only mountain not visible
from the observation point
is the Argentera which is hidden
from view by the hills It can be
seen however from piazza Zara
at the bottom end of corso
Moncalieri.
the mountains according to the number. It also contains a
schematic plan on which the directions of the peaks and the various angles are indicated.
The clearest drawing and also the easiest to read is entitled The
panorama of the Alps from the Observation Point of the National
Museum of the Mountains at Mount Cappuccini by Renato
Chabod (1942). This has been drawn in Indian ink and measures 1700x175 millimetres and the play of dark and light shades
enables us to distinguish, perhaps even more clearly than with a
photograph, the outlines of the mountains and valleys.
The artist obviously knew the mountains well and was therefore
able to sketch the slopes in different shades of light and dark so
that we can see clearly those which are exposed to the sun.
Thanks to the well defined outline we can even identify the
inclinations of the slopes and the rocky mountain walls. When
compared with a photograph we can observe that the drawing
shows the contrasts and the discontinuity due to the superimposition of the mountain ranges much more clearly.
In the folded inserts that you will find in this book there is a
reproduction of this drawing by Chabod and also a photograph
of the complete panorama. The latter is made up from a series
of 25 photographs which were taken at the beginning of 2004.
Above the roofs of the city, the mountains form a continuous
frame from which the most visible and well known peaks stand
out: Monviso, Rocciavrè, Rocciamelone, Levanna, Gran Paradiso
and Monte Rosa. Neither Monte Bianco nor Cervino are visible
however as the former is hidden from view by the Gran Paradiso
and the latter by the peaks of the Valchiusella. The valleys ,
some of which are visible others less so, also give us an indication of direction and location. If we look towards the south, the
first valley that we can see is called la Valle Varaita and it is quite
easy to recognise as it is positioned at right angles and is dominated by the southern slopes of monte Birrone. The latter is
clearly visible as we can see the long mountain ridge which
slopes down towards the left. The valleys behind la Valle
Varaita in order from south to north are: la Valle del Po, la Val
Pellice, la Val Chisone, la Valle del Sangone, la Valle di Susa,
Val della Torre, le valli di Lanzo, la Valle dell’Orco, la
Valchiusella, la Valle d’Aosta, they are all really beautiful.
Svizzera
Monte Rosa
Valle d’Aosta
Monte Barone
Gran Paradiso
Levanna
Rocciamelone
Lombardia
Piemonte
Francia
Monviso
Liguria
Argentera
Scenery
which hasn’t changed
for thousands of year
At the end of the roads of Torino
Scenery which hasn’t changed for thousands of year
11 • Torino dall’ “Ottagono”
s
32
The Gran Paradiso is one of the
mountains that can be seen most
easily from the streets of Turin. Many
streets are aligned in its direction
and in particular the old road that led
to Venaria. In this photograph which
was taken from the foot of the hills,
you can see the city limits towards
Venaria, the Mandria park
and the Lanzo basin surmounted
by the first line of mountains. Behind
them is the Valle dell’Orco and
behind that, the Gran Paradiso chain.
Gran Paradiso 4061 m
33
A unique horizon
that the people
of Turin
know and love
36
At the end of the roads of Torino
On the opposite page:
Monviso is the most characteristic
of the alps which are visible
from Turin. It’s contours
and the fact that it is isolated make
it stand out even from far away.
In the photograph taken
from Monte dei Cappuccini,
the mountain looks very big.
This effect occurs on windy days
when the atmosphere is clear.
Via Po
Corso Appio Claudio
Torino da San Vito
Torino dal Monte dei Cappuccini
During the 20th century Turin became known as a strictly
industrial city: smog caused by pollution added to the fogs
which often rise up over the plains became a characteristic of
the city and for a long time people thought of it as a grey, polluted place. In recent years however, industrial decline and
more careful control of the environment have allowed us to
rediscover this beautiful city. Not only are there many impressive historical buildings here but its position between the
mountains and the hills and the surrounding landscape, makes
it truly unique. The wonderful natural environment plus the
urban and architectural beauty of Turin is often lost on its
inhabitants who like people in other cities tend not to appreciate it. Even though most people do not pay any particular
attention to the views on the horizon, they do use them as a
reference point, they know instinctively where they are, by
looking at the panoramic background. One can say that the
Alpine shapes and forms are an integral part of the city and that
even though people may be unaware of it, they provide a point
of reference.
The view and the appearance of the mountains are also an indication of meteorological conditions: the infinite variations of
visibility depend primarily on the air quality but they are also
influenced by air currents and winds which create different
types of cloud formations and there are often dense clouds
around the peaks and the valley areas. When the air has been
still for long periods, even days, we get a very hazy view which
makes the mountains appear far away. When this happens the
nearest mountains look very dark and those further away are
pale and misty, almost like a side scene of a kind of natural theatre. On the other hand when it is windy and there are no
clouds it seems as if the mountains are almost on top of us and
we get the impression that they are right behind the buildings
of the city. At other times when there are clouds that cover the
mountains, the lower ones at the front, which under normal
conditions seem to form part of those further away, stand out.
The play of light and colour created by the movement of the
clouds is without limit but there are some situations which
happen frequently and can almost be classified, as for example
that which occurs when the foen wind blows down from the
north. In the city the sky is perfectly clear while the summits of
40
At the end of the roads of Torino
A unique horizon that the people of Turin know and love
s 12 • Via Po
Via Po is aligned with the Levanna orientale.
The characteristic pyramid shaped peak is illuminated
at the front by the sunlight. This photograph was taken
in the early hours of the morning on a clear winter day.
You can see the lower peaks of punta Rocca Nera and
Druina which divides the plain of the Valle di Viù (the
Levanna orientale 3555 m
first of the valli di Lanzo). The snow covered peaks to the
left are: monte Piatou, the Francesetti, Monfret, Uja della
Gura, Mezzenile, Dent d’Ecot, Martellot, Clavarino and
the Girard peaks. Beyond the Levanna you can see
the Punta dell’Uja, monte Dubia, monte Barrouard, Corno
bianco and behind the bell tower, monte Morion.
41
The Roman, orthogonal
road networks
62
At the end of the roads of Torino
Via Palazzo di Città viewed from
piazza Castello. This street leads
to the Town Hall whose entrance
can be seen from the front. Above
the roof of the building rises the
summit of monte Lera in the Valle
di Viù. Via Palazzo di Città is not
parallel to via Garibaldi but joins
it to the west. In fact, when looking
from the city, monte Lera appears
to the left of the Civrari mountain
26 • Via Palazzo di Città
s
s 25 • Via Palazzo di Città
The Roman, orthogonal road networks
From an upper window of the Regio
Theatre overlooking piazza Castello,
you can enjoy a view of via Palazzo
di Città with the peaks surrounding
monte Lera in the background.
To the right, partly obscured by the
cupola of the church of San Lorenzo,
designed by the architect Guarini,
it is possible to see Punta della croce
on monte Civrari.
monte Lera 3355 m
63
The new roads built
during the 16th and 17th
centuries when the city
was expanded
At the end of the roads of Torino
The new roads built during the 16th and 17th centuries when the city was expanded
32 • Via Po
s
78
From the lower slopes of the Turin
hills over the cupola
of the Gran Madre di Dio, this photo
shows a view of via Po and the large
piazza Vittorio Veneto with its typical
arched colonnades. Behind the square
are the cupolas and bell towers
of the old town and the whole scene
is dominated by snow covered Alps.
Punta d’Arnas 3560 m
Croce rossa 3566 m
Levanna orientale 3555 m
s 33 • Via Maria Vittoria
Via Maria Vittoria crosses piazza
Carlina (piazza Carlo Emanuele II).
The monument to Camillo Benso
Count of Cavour rises up between
the peaks of Croce rossa
and Punta d’Arnas.
79
The Royal roads
106
At the end of the roads of Torino
s 59 • Corso Casale
Corso Regio Parco runs past the
cemetery whose outer wall
can be seen in the photo.
Looking towards the city one can
see in the middle of the panorama
monte Vandalino at the beginning
of Val Pellice and to the left monte
Fiunira on the French border.
On the right the spire
on the Sindone chapel rises up.
Entering the city from corso Casale
one gets a view the peaks south
of Sestriere: on the left, Platasse,
Rocce del Rouit, Rognosa di Sestriere
and Bric Ghinivert.
monte Vandalino 2121 m
60 • Via Villa della Regina
s
s 58 • Corso Regio Parco
The Royal roads
punta Rognosa di Sestriere 3280 m
From the higher ground
of via Villa della Regina the eye
is drawn over the rooftops of the city
where on a clear day, the mountains
are visible from their lower slopes
upwards. Above monte Colombano
to the left monte Ciorneva
can be seen, further back Ciamarella
and small sections of its glacier;
to the right Monte rosso d’Ala
and Uia di Mondrone.
Ciamarella 3676 m
107
The toll gates
and nineteenth century
expansion of the city
At the end of the roads of Torino
The toll gates and nineteenth century expansion of the city
91 • Corso Giuseppe Gabetti
s
138
Gran Paradiso can be seen
from the part of corso Gabetti
which runs down to the Po.
Gran Paradiso 4061 m
s 92 • Corso Quintino Sella
The initial part of corso
Quintino Sella, which starts
from piazzale Villa della Regina
looks towards Monte Rosa.
punta Dufour (Monte Rosa) 4638 m
139
The long
straight roads
beyond
the toll gates
180
At the end of the roads of Torino
The long straight roads beyond the toll gates
s 141 • Dal Colle della Maddalena
A panoramic view of the area north
of the city taken from Colle
della Maddalena on a particularly clear
day even lower down. In the centre the
entrance to the Valle di Lanzo can be see
and along the top of the photo you
can easily distinguish the highest peaks:
from the left Fourà, Cima di Breuil, Becca
di Monciair, Ciarforon, Tresenta, Gran
Paradiso, Punta di Ceresole, Testa della
Tribolazione, Becca di Gay, Roccia viva,
Testa di Money, Torre di Gran San Pietro.
Gran Paradiso 4061 m
181
Turin’s
“mountains”
At the end of the roads of Torino
Turin’s “mountains”
156 • Villa della Regina
s
198
From piazza Vittorio Veneto
the Villa della Regina stands out
amidst the green background of the
park belonging to Villa Genero,
partly obscured by the trees in the
adjacent road. In the foreground the
bridge over the Po and the church of
the Gran Madre di Dio can be seen.
Villa della Regina
s 157 • Corso Vittorio Emanuele II
Corso Vittorio Emanuele II
continues over the river Po going up
towards the hills where it becomes
corso Fiume. At the end stands
the obelisk commemorating
the Crimean war. The green
vegetation in the background hides
most of the recently constructed
buildings on the hills.
monumento Crimea
199