Turin – Museum Wanderings

Recently while taking a break from planning our next big set of travels for September and October, we decided to visit another set of museums in Turin which one could call unusual if not down right odd. I would say odd because when one thinks of a museum, at least the first one below would not immediately pop into one’s mind.

The cost for each of the two museums above was €5 each. However, one can purchase a €10 entrance pass which includes the first two museums as well as the Museum of Fruit.

Museum of Criminal Anthropology

This Museum of Criminal Anthropology is located on the same block as the Museum of Human Anatomy. At via Pietro Giuria, it is housed in a somewhat unassuming building and if you were not actually looking for it you might pass by it altogether.

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Entrance to the Museum of Criminal Anthropology

The building inside, like so many in Turin, has a grand architectural style inside and was probably under the influence of one of the many great architects that have worked in this city.

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The Beautifully Adorned Ceiling before the Entrance to the Museum

So as to not bore you with the benefactor’s history of this museum, you may visit the website to learn more if you wish, let’s just say that once inside you get a very good idea of just how backward science and medicine were in those days. The main displays in this museum are those of skulls and artifacts from criminal patients who were often labeled crazy or insane. Many of the skulls were labeled with the crimes that each of the individuals committed, all of course written in Latin.

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Cases Housing Patient Skulls

The adjacent side of the floor contained numerous examples of the implements used in many of the crimes that were committed.

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Knives and other Handmade and often Strange Implements used by the Patients

If I were to sum up my thoughts of this very interesting museum it would be one of great curiosity. Not only for the obviously poor people who were involved and in some cases mistreated and misdiagnosed by their treating physicians, but for the times in which they lived. Many of which would have benefited from our medical knowledge of today, perhaps to the point of never turning to crime. As for the doctors and scientists involved it must have been a time of great discovery, however misguided some of them employed their influence and knowledge.

It took us a little over an hour to visit the entire museum and we would recommend it, though we would consider it a bit on the morbid side.

The Museum of Human Anatomy

On via Corso Massimo d’Azeglio and the adjacent street and same block as the previous museum one can visit the Museum of Human Anatomy. This is another museum where some may not be appropriate, especially if they are uncomfortable with anatomy, blood, brains or guts. So plan appropriately.

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Museum of Human Anatomy

It can however be used as it had been in the past, as a very good pedagogical device for learning more about oneself and what composes the human organism. Having been used in the past as part of the medical university system in Turin it still offers valuable insights to visitors.

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Internal Entrance to the Museum

This museum is also housed on a single floor. As you begin your tour you first learn of basic anatomy and view examples human and other animal skeletons.

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The Introductory Case showing Human and Animal Skeletons

Once you move through the internal entrance door, after purchasing your tickets, you will see examples of human dwarf- and gigantism. This is followed by displays of the anatomical differences between the human sexes. After that, each successive colonnade displays in both wax and actual human form (samples that have been preserved in solution) specific areas of the body.

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Curios filled with Human Anatomical Samples

Finally in the back of the museum one will find an in-depth study of the human nervous system, brains and actual examples of how individual nerves are routed and connected in the body.

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A Large Figure showing how very important Anatomical Features are related

I would greatly encourage anyone with children to visit the museum. Though not for everyone, it can be used as a great teaching aid and perhaps put some young mind on the path of becoming a doctor of medicine or forensics. It’s also great just to learn how the scientific community in the late 18 and early 19 centuries learned about and taught anatomy.

Museum of the Risorgimento – The Apartment

Our next visit was actually triggered by an offer on Turin’s official website of free admission for a tour of the apartment associate with the Museum of the Risorgimento. The Risorgimento of course was the political and social movement that consolidated different states of Italy into a single state, or what became the Kingdom of Italy in the 19th century. It began in 1815 in Vienna and was completed in Rome after it became the capital Italy in 1871.

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The  part that we actually saw is not open often and is not actually part of the museum proper, but rather an adjunct to it. Special tickets are provided at a specific time during the day, so you must watch the website for when these are available.

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Cities and Towns where Baroque Architect Guarino Guarini had influence

The apartment and the museum itself owe their legacy to Guarino Guarini, an influential architect or the baroque style of his day. He is responsible for many important architectural works of this style, none more so than the examples he left in Turin. However, he is also responsible for many other important works in a wide area that covers both Italy and France, as shown above.

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Emanuele’s rooms as styled after the Baroque influences of Guarini are impressive. Though one can say the gold leaf is a bit overdone the parquet flooring is amazing, even though it is showing its age.

Though our self-guided tour took all of thirty to forty minutes it was nonetheless well worth the time, since absolutely no other expense was incurred (thank you Turin!) for us by doing so. If you are also fortunate enough to have the opportunity to visit these impressive rooms and architecturally significant buildings, we suggest you do so. We found them very compelling.

Turin – Treats On Or Close To Our Street

Having resided in Turin now for six months we are getting more and more time to explore. Sometimes it’s a monument we haven’t seen before or a shop that looks unfamiliar. Most of which, in the past months or so, have taken quite a walk to get there and back. So we decided one day this week to have lunch and a coffee and see what we could turn up, right on or very near our own street, via Giovanni Giolitti.

Lunch

A nine or ten block walk from our apartment, past the Piazza San Carlo, is a small fresh pasta place called Brün. Actually located on via Vittorio Alfieri, which is technically one and the same with via Giovanni Giolitti since they are in fact one and the same street.

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Brün – via Vittorio Alfieri – Pasta Fresca

Brün resides in a very clean-looking building just past the Piazza San Carlo. It’s entrance sports a business shingle at street view that is quite easy to see as you are walking.

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Brün – Modern Interior

Inside the owners went with a more modern and efficient layout and design than you would probably see elsewhere in Turin. Their main claim to fame here is their pasta, which is made fresh daily and comes in  three price tiers and about eight styles, from the customary Italian Tagliatelle and Spaghetti, all the way to the more expensive and delicious ravioli – Agnolotti.

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We both decided on the Tagliatelle, but served two different ways and both were absolutely delicious. The pasta was served on plates of recycled paper and the utensils were also of recycled plastics. Each plate costs less than six Euros.  Add two glasses of wine and both can eat a delicious lunch for under fifteen Euros easily!

Dessert

After paying for lunch we walked out of Brün only to take a short walk up via XX Settembre and around the corner to visit La Romana, located on via Santa Teresa.

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La Romana – via Santa Teresa

From the outside it looks expensive, which normally in Turin still means delicious but pricey. However after looking what they had to offer we thought the pricing was more or less inline with what we would expect.

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La Romana – The Coffee and Gelati Bar

The inside is a very modern decor with employees that also speak English, so you will have no problem ordering your Gelato and other desserts (there are many). We opted for the Gelato.

The store has much more to offer and appears to do all of their baking on site. In fact, while you are eating your gelato you can see the Baker make desserts behind a glass. The centerpiece of the store is a large glass enclosure with all of the day’s high-caloric offerings. All look very appetizing and we are definitely going back, not only for the Gelato which we think is as good as or slightly better that Fiorio and Grom, but to purchase and bring home a cake or tort.

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Coffee

After dessert it was time to cap it off with an early afternoon coffee. What better place to go than down the street and around the corner to the Piazza San Carlo and Caffè Torino.

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Caffè Torino – Early 20th Century Decor

Caffè Torino is one of Turin‘s hallmark coffee bars where one can enjoy a Campari or Aperol Spritz, coffee, tea or any number of tall drinks. They also serve some light fare in the event you are hungry.

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Patti’s Caffé Macchiato

Patti had the establishment’s caffè Macchiato and I had a caffè (espresso) with a shot of Sambuca. The Sambuca sweetens the espresso a bit making it a caffè corretto. Each coffee came with the customary Torinese shot of sparkling water to cleanse your mouth once finished.

Make no mistake, Caffè Torino is modestly expensive when compared to other places where you can indulge in coffee around Turin (the home of coffee in Italy). We spent more on two cups of coffee and a Sambuca then we did on our pasta lunch with wine! You are however paying for the atmosphere. Therefore, if you choose your drinks wisely (or not), you can manage a very nice experience without an enormous bite coming out of your wallet.

All in all, we had a great lunch right on our own street and just a short walk away. Bear in mind all of this did take us close to three hours, or an hour lunch-break, if you are on Italian time!

Turin – Annual Motor Show 2019

A quick post about the 5th Annual Motor Show going on in Turin now. We visited it yesterday and they have quite an assembly of cars, boats and other technology to look at. Even the university here had a few entries to demonstrate what they work on and learn, and apparently race!

Our entrance to Valentino Park and the Motor Show 2019
The palace and its entrance to see some special vehicles on display

The Cars

The Food

There is also an extensive food pavilion which is definitely worth the visit. There are foods from all over Italy and other parts of the world including Brazil.

The food pavilion

And then there is the food, from fish to meat to vegan if you so desire.

Of course, there is plenty of dolci or sweets which we got to go, since we had already eaten too much…

So that’s that, the 2019 Turin Motor Show. If you are a car enthusiast you probably have already attended or booked your trip. If not and you are in the area it is definitely worth a stop. We enjoyed it and we no longer own an automobile nor particularly like them! 🙂

Turin – The Royal Museums

Yesterday, we went to the Royal Museums of Turin. It includes the Royal Palace and its Gardens, the Royal Library and Armory, the Sebaudian Gallery (Dutch & Flemish paintings) the Museum of Antiquities and the Chapel of the Holy Shroud.

Tickets for Three

Cathedral of St. John the Baptist

The Holy Shroud

 

Cathedral of St. John the Baptist

Royal Palace of the Savoys

The Entrance

Photos of the Royal Palace. Some rooms were quite gaudy.

Views from the Royal Palace

 

Chapel of the Holy Shroud

A fire destroyed part of the Chapel in 1997 and is undergoing restoration

Tristan in the Museum of Antiquities

We do enjoy museums! Can you tell?