Turin is the city that made the Savoy dynasty into the kings of Italy, and the area known as the Zona di Comando, the Command Zone, is the heart of that story. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the dukes of Savoy, who had moved their capital to Turin in 1563, laid out a grand ensemble of palaces, courtyards and arcades around the old castle, turning a provincial town into a stage for royal power. Piazza Castello is the centre, with the Palazzo Madama, a medieval castle with a baroque facade, and the Palazzo Reale, the royal palace, with its gardens and the Royal Armoury. It is part of the UNESCO group of the Residences of the Royal House of Savoy, listed in 1997.
The city beyond is less stiff than its reputation. Turin has long, straight arcaded streets, grand cafes that serve the bicerin, a drink of coffee, chocolate and cream, and a large Egyptian museum, the biggest outside Cairo. The Mole Antonelliana, a tall tower with a pointed dome, houses the cinema museum and has a glass lift to a viewing platform. Fiat, the carmaker, shaped the modern city, and the old Lingotto factory, with its rooftop test track, has been turned into a shopping and cultural centre. In the evening, the aperitivo hour fills the bars with free snacks.
Riding here is straightforward if you accept the rules of Italian city traffic. Scooters and cars share the lanes, trams run on tracks, and many central streets are restricted zones, called ZTL, where entry without a permit can lead to a fine, so be careful with navigation. The best rides start outside the city: the hill of Superga, with its baroque basilica, gives a view over the Po and the Alps, and the road to Ivrea, with its Olivetti factories of the early twentieth century, runs through the Canavese, a countryside of lakes, vineyards and castles. The Langhe hills to the south, famous for Barolo wine, are a great destination.
Turin has fuel at many stations on the ring road and the main avenues, and good restaurants everywhere. Try agnolotti, the little stuffed pasta, and the Piedmont hazelnut chocolates. Spring and autumn are the best seasons, and in winter fog can settle in the plain.