What to See in Turin: from the Jewish in Piedmont to Urban Furnishing
What to see in Turin? The former Jewish Ghetto, historic doorways, and shops come together in a tour designed to provide a fresh perspective on the city. Beyond its captivating palaces and baroque churches, Turin has a deep heritage of history and art hidden in symbols, details and decorations belonging to the urban decor and furnishing, easy to miss without the help of a local guide.
Moreover, the Jewish community in Piedmont has a long and rich history dating back to the Middle Ages. Jews settled in Piedmont as early as the 14th century, often under the protection of the Savoy Counts and Dukes but also facing periodic expulsions and restrictions. Like in much of Italy, Jews in Piedmont were confined to ghettos starting in the 16th and 17th centuries, particularly in cities like Turin, Asti, Alessandria, Cuneo, Chieri, and Casale Monferrato.
Meet Piemonte Tour Operator has crafted an itinerary that meanders through the historic city center, weaving together narrow alleys and some of the most renowned squares. As the local expert leads the way into the former Jewish ghetto area, they highlight an intriguing array of historic stores and access points to the courtyards of elegant palaces.
The doorways and shops, dating from the 17th century to the 1930s, are adorned with unexpected symbolic masks, cherubs, and figures of animals.
What to See in Turin: Historic Cafés and Stores
After enduring significant economic and social transformations, historical workshops have become a part of the community’s heritage and have been safeguarded by a regional law established in 1989 to promote their existence and preservation.
The commercial sector shapes the city’s aesthetic and furnishings, defining the urban landscape through storefronts, frames, wooden structures (known as “devantures” in French), signs, and advertisements.
A tour through Turin’s Jewish ghetto, with its historic doorways and shops, highlights the period from the late 18th century to the early 19th century. During this time, many handcrafted and medieval workshops transitioned to stores that offered a varied visual appeal through their displayed goods. In an effort to captivate a more discerning clientele, who mirrored the stores’ styles and felt connected to a distinct elite, shops became symbols of social status.
For the first time in local history, consumers were encouraged to purchase items they desired but had never owned, marking an early step toward a consumer society.
Turin Open-Air Museum: Historic Shops’ Original Furnishing
Our tour in Turin, in Italy, is like an open-air museum where strolling in back alleys and main drags, we admire different types of commercial architecture conceived to highlight the allure of goods. We observe the use of motifs, shapes, and colors reminiscent of grand European aristocratic residences. Additionally, there’s an artistic flair from craftsmen who create accessories, structures, and decorations in iron and wood.
Exploring Turin’s Jewish ghetto, historic doorways, and shops uncovers exquisite baroque handles next to Renaissance gates, alongside 15th-century Florentine lanterns adjacent to 18th-century Parisian marquises. This diverse array coexists harmoniously within a single vibrant environment.
The route features a selection of cafes, groceries, and trimming shops, with many still retaining their original character. The objective is to decipher both the architectural and decorative features visible on the exteriors and interiors, including counters, shelves, chandeliers, and pottery, used historically for storing ointments, spices, and medicines, as seen in ancient drugstores.
Historic Doorways in Turin and the Role of the House of Savoy
The House of Savoy initiated three expansions to reshape Turin, in Italy, evolving it from a medieval town into a ducal capital, and subsequently into a royal city, aimed at showcasing the crown’s power. Palaces were constructed with uniform facades and heights, forming an architectural strategy to enhance the visibility of the new city streets.
Primarily, the architectural design needed to reflect the presence of absolute authority, to which all families, including the noble and affluent, were expected to conform.
Within this framework, the only customization allowed for individual buildings manifested in the extravagant decorations of their doors. Over time, these gates became a hallmark for the families residing within.
The term “door” signifies “passage”, underscoring the symbolic importance of this feature, which serves to protect the building while also reflecting the social status of its owners. Simultaneously, doors act as a barrier between the building’s exterior and its more private inner courtyard.
A Journey Through Turin’s Historic Doorways
The tour through Turin’s Jewish ghetto highlights historic doorways and shops, emphasizing details such as the features of each gate. Initially, single-hinged doors were prevalent, still visible along the route.
Over time, these evolved to double-hinged doors with opposing openings, as well as various types found throughout Turin. Common elements include wooden over-doors and the wrought iron radial structures known as rosta, which allow light to filter inside.
Other distinct features consist of clappers for knocking on doors, sometimes replaced by door knockers. These are hinged only at the top, enabling them to be lifted to knock, often shaped like small hands.
Keyholes, which have outlasted modern locks, and knobs designed for ease of opening doors are also noteworthy. Many of these were concealed behind playful faces, grotesque masks, and figures of dogs or lions, intended to ward off evil spirits and unwelcome visitors.
In addition to showcasing the design of each door, a local expert shares stories and anecdotes about the lives of those who passed through them daily, recounting chronicles of noble families, tales of lovers and betrayals, clandestine meetings, and local legends.
What to See in Turin’s Former Jewish Ghetto
Just a few blocks away from Turin’s bustling high streets lies the area where the Jewish community was historically confined. This locale still features some iron-barred gates, designed to enable guards to observe activities within the courtyards and to deter any clandestine operations.
Established in 1679, Turin’s Jewish ghetto was among the last to be created in Italy, reflecting Piedmont’s long-standing tradition of tolerance and various economic agreements with the Jewish community. By the 18th century, the ghetto’s population had grown to over a thousand individuals, necessitating expansion.
During tours of Turin’s Jewish ghetto, guides highlight certain apartment buildings that stand out due to an additional floor compared to neighboring homes. Though their overall height is similar, the extra layer of windows is noticeable, as these structures were built to accommodate more families.
Following the emancipation enacted by King Charles Albert in 1848, which permitted Jews to relocate to different neighborhoods, the ghetto’s buildings underwent restoration. Historically, the ghetto housed synagogues of Italian, Spanish, and German rites, though they are no longer visible.
What to See in Turin: Reminders of the Jewish Ghetto and the Savoy Monarchy
In the 17th century, Duke Charles Emmanuel II initiated a second expansion of the city, toward the Po River including the streets where the Jewish ghetto was later established. He envisioned a large octagonal square, featuring a monument to the Savoy Duke positioned centrally.
Buildings surrounding the square were not permitted to have their main entrances facing it, ensuring visitors focused solely on the statue without being distracted by the doors’ beauty.
Piazza Carlo Emanuele II was nicknamed later Piazza Carlina, probably after a myth regarding the duke. While Piazza Carlina itself was not part of the Jewish ghetto, it was close to the area where Jews were forcibly relocated in 1679 by Duke Vittorio Amedeo II.
For nearly 170 years, Jews in Turin were confined to this walled area, with gates locked at night. At the center of the square stands a monument to Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, a key figure in Italy’s unification. The statue, erected in 1873, honors his role in shaping modern Italy and took the spot originally conceived for the Duke’s statue.
We appreciate both the original 17th-century gates and later additions, as well as one of the few Turin buildings with a courtyard garden. These gardens, designed to impress passersby during the day, showcased the power of the resident family when the doors were open.
The square provides a view of the iconic Mole Antonelliana, with the impressive dome closely tied to the history of Turin’s Jewish community.
