Piazza San Carlo
تورينو
Elegant and symmetrical, Piazza San Carlo is known as Torino's drawing room. Lined with arcades and dominated by the twin churches and the equestrian statue of Emanuele Filiberto, it is one of the most harmonious Baroque spaces in Italy. Your treasure map takes you among the city's historic cafés.
History
Piazza San Carlo was laid out from the first half of the 17th century, as part of the Baroque expansion of Torino wanted by the Savoy. The design, attributed to the architect Carlo di Castellamonte, aimed to create a regular, theatrical space framed by uniform arcades. Thanks to its elegance, it has been one of the city's most representative places for centuries.
What to see
In the centre of the square stands the equestrian statue of Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, a 19th-century work the Torinesi call "il Caval ëd Bronz", the bronze horse in Piedmontese. On the southern side stand the twin churches of San Carlo and Santa Cristina, with their symmetrical Baroque façades.
All around run the elegant arcades that house some of Torino's most famous historic cafés, once frequented by writers and patriots of the Risorgimento.
Curiosities
The historic cafés under the arcades of Piazza San Carlo were important meeting places during the Risorgimento, when Torino was the capital of the Kingdom of Sardinia and then the first capital of Italy.
Visiting
The square is pedestrian and always accessible. It lies along via Roma, the city's shopping street, a short walk from Piazza Castello and the other main sights of the historic centre.
