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DAY 5
TURIN ROMAN QUARTER
PORTA PALAZZO MARKET & BALON ANTIQUES MARKET
OVERNIGHT IN TURIN
The Pedestrianized Via Giuseppe Garibaldi Runs through the Roman Quarter.
©Photo by Michael Reed ~ Creative World Travel
The Roman Quarter (Quadrilatero Romano) is the oldest part of Turin, and many say the most picturesque, with small narrow streets, boutiques and wine bars.
The Porta Palazzo Market is Europe's largest outdoor market with more than 1,000 stalls over 50,000 square meters.
It is also one of oldest in Europe. It was decreed to be the only produce market in Turin in 1835.
This colorful multiethnic market is a photographer's delight. On Saturday the market spills over into adjoing streets with all kinds of things for sale.
The nearby Balon Antiques Market has been held on Saturdays since 1856.
In the heart of the Roman Quarter is The Museum of Oriental Art (Museo d'Arte Orientale, also known by the acronym MAO), which boasts one of the most important Asian art collections in Italy and Europe.
Two Japanese rock gardens greet guests at the entrance. On four floors are displayed works from India and Southeast Asia, China, Japan, Tibet, Turkey, Iran, Iraq and the Arabian Peninsula.
The Museo delle Antichità Egizie is the only museum other than the Cairo Museum that is dedicated solely to Egyptian art and culture. It houses the world's second largest collection of Egyptian antiquities after Cairo.
The museum was formally founded in 1824 with the acquisition by King Carlo Felice of a large collection. This was assembled by Bernardino Drovetti, of Piedmontese origin, who, following his service with Napoleon Bonaparte went
to Egypt to become the French Consul. There are 6,500 objects on display and an additional 26,000 objects are in storage.
For those who are not interested in museums, there are numerous shopping arcades close to the Grand Hotel Sitea. These arcades are a visual delight, not just because of the shops with their artistically
crafted display windows with an Italian flair, but also for their architectural designs and embellishments.
Galleria Subalpina, a shopping arcade near the Grand Hotel Sitea, was inaugurated on September 30, 1874.
©Photo by Michael Reed ~ Creative World Travel
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