Via Roma (Rome Street), Turin
Rome Street is one of Turin鈥檚 grand thoroughfares, a place where the city鈥檚 changing rulers left their mark block by block. Its course still follows the cardo maximus, the north鈥搒outh backbone of the Roman colony Julia Augusta Taurinorum, and while centuries have reshaped the fa莽ades, the axis has never lost its prominence.
In the 1600s the Savoy dynasty decided Turin needed the look of a capital, and Rome Street became their canvas. Baroque arcades lined the way, their arches offering rhythm as well as shelter, and soon the porticos filled with caf茅s, patisseries, and shops. The street鈥檚 geometry tied together Castle Square, Saint Charles Square, and Vittorio Veneto Square, giving the city an ordered stage for everyday life and royal ceremony alike.
Skipping forward to the 1930s and another wave of transformation arrived, this time under the Fascist regime. Between 1931 and 1937, architect Marcello Piacentini was tasked with remaking much of the street in Italian Rationalist style. The result was a blend of Novecento Italiano formality, neoclassical restraint, and modernist severity. The stretch between Charles Felix Square and Saint Charles Square gained monumental blocks, among them the Prince of Piedmont Hotel and the former National Hotel. Yet the first section nearer Castle Square was spared and retained its baroque fa莽ades, keeping a visual dialogue between past and present.
Today, Rome Street is as much about fashion as it is about history. Luxury boutiques, international brands, and historic caf茅s share the arcades, making the walk a lesson in architecture that doubles as an invitation to linger.
In the 1600s the Savoy dynasty decided Turin needed the look of a capital, and Rome Street became their canvas. Baroque arcades lined the way, their arches offering rhythm as well as shelter, and soon the porticos filled with caf茅s, patisseries, and shops. The street鈥檚 geometry tied together Castle Square, Saint Charles Square, and Vittorio Veneto Square, giving the city an ordered stage for everyday life and royal ceremony alike.
Skipping forward to the 1930s and another wave of transformation arrived, this time under the Fascist regime. Between 1931 and 1937, architect Marcello Piacentini was tasked with remaking much of the street in Italian Rationalist style. The result was a blend of Novecento Italiano formality, neoclassical restraint, and modernist severity. The stretch between Charles Felix Square and Saint Charles Square gained monumental blocks, among them the Prince of Piedmont Hotel and the former National Hotel. Yet the first section nearer Castle Square was spared and retained its baroque fa莽ades, keeping a visual dialogue between past and present.
Today, Rome Street is as much about fashion as it is about history. Luxury boutiques, international brands, and historic caf茅s share the arcades, making the walk a lesson in architecture that doubles as an invitation to linger.
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Via Roma (Rome Street) on Map
Sight Name: Via Roma (Rome Street)
Sight Location: Turin, Italy (See walking tours in Turin)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Turin, Italy (See walking tours in Turin)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Turin, Italy
Create Your Own Walk in Turin
Creating your own self-guided walk in Turin is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Coffee, Food and Chocolate Tour in Turin
Among other things, the capital of Italy's Piedmont region 鈥� Turin 鈥� is well known for its rich culinary tradition, which includes long-standing coffee and chocolate culture. There are several cafes and coffee houses in the city that have been in business for hundreds of years.
The most notable of them are found in the historic heart of the city, such as the Caff猫 al Bicerin.... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.2 Km or 1.4 Miles
The most notable of them are found in the historic heart of the city, such as the Caff猫 al Bicerin.... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.2 Km or 1.4 Miles
Turin Introduction Walking Tour
Mark Twain once wrote that Turin鈥檚 streets are 鈥渆xtravagantly wide鈥� and its houses stretch 鈥渁s straight as an arrow鈥�-and he was not exaggerating.
Turin's story begins with the Taurini, a Celtic tribe whose name is tied to the word for 鈥渕ountain.鈥� They lived at the foot of the Alps before the Romans arrived. In 28 BC, the Romans founded Taurinorum here, designing it in their... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.4 Km or 2.1 Miles
Turin's story begins with the Taurini, a Celtic tribe whose name is tied to the word for 鈥渕ountain.鈥� They lived at the foot of the Alps before the Romans arrived. In 28 BC, the Romans founded Taurinorum here, designing it in their... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.4 Km or 2.1 Miles