Vittorio Veneto Square, Turin
Vittorio Veneto Square in Turin (Piazza Vittorio Veneto) is one of the most significant squares of the city. In addition, it is one of the largest squares in Europe, and the townspeople, of course, proudly call it the largest. A huge forum is a favorite meeting place for young people, walks and gatherings in the surrounding cafes. A lot of public events also takes place here.
History of the square
At the end of the 18th century, the plan of city expanding was to create a square near the Po River. In the early 19th century, the Vittorio Emanuele I bridge was built, which gave impetus to the plans of the city authorities. Having gone through several projects, architect Giuseppe Frizzi was chosen, who proposed a square form for the square, not a circle. The work was completed in 1825. Some buildings were built in the Baroque style, but most – in the Classicism style.
Since the creation the square was used for meetings and military parades. The most massive parades were in the era of fascism. The current name was given after the victory at Vittorio Veneto, which was one of the turning points during the First World War. After the liberation of Turin on May 6, 1945, a parade of partisans and defenders of the city was held here. In 1960, the square received excellent lighting, developed by Guido Chiarelli. In 2004, as part of the preparations for the Winter Olympics, parking areas were turned into pedestrian areas.
Attractions and events on the Vittorio Veneto Square
The square has the shape of a rectangle, with 360 in length and 111 meters in width. The four-storeyed buildings that surround it, were created in the style of Classicism. During the Second World War, they were repeatedly bombed, but they were rebuilt afterwards. On the ground floor there is a huge number of different cafés and restaurants hidden behind porticos of buildings. The latter were skilfully executed as far back as 1825 when the square was created.
By the way, the slope of the square towards the river is interesting. At the end points of the forum, the difference in height is 7.19 meters. But the eye does not notice it, and it is the merit of the architect who designed it this way to increase the stage image during the meetings. You can see the height difference only after passing under the porticos.
After the Second World War, the square hosted regular events, shows and concerts. The celebration of the day of San Giovanni Battista, the patron saint of Turin, attracts more than 200,000 people to the square. Until 1987, the famous Turin carnival was held on the square.
The scenes for the films "Un colpo all'italiana" in 1969 and "La seconda volta" in 1995 were filmed here. The inhabitants of Turin shorten the name and call the forum – Vittorio Veneto Square. From here you can see a wonderful view of the hilly east bank of the Po River.
How to get there
The square is located near the embankment of the Po River. It is connected to the famous Square Piazza Castello by Via Po, and by the bridge over the river – with the Gran Madre di Dio square in the Borgo Po area. It is very easy to get here, since trams № 7, 13, 15 run to the Vittorio Veneto stop. Also, here there is the final stop of a huge number of bus routes, among them № 30, 33, 55, 61, 70, N10, S05, W60. And from the heart of the city, the Royal Palace, you can walk here, and it will take 10–15 minutes.
