Torino Local Custom Tips by marco2005 Top 5 Page for this destination

Torino's free Wi Fi Hot Spot

Torino is one the Italian city most hi-tech. Indeed we have few hot spot!! And very few are free :-(
So this is the list of these few free hot spot

Several Torino's hotels offer wi fi connection (paying a fee); these ones advertise having it:

Hotel Express by Holiday Inn
Hotel Italia
Grand Hotel Sitea
Hotel President
Hotel Urbani
Starhotel Majestic
Hotel Lo Scudiero
Hotel Le Meridien
Hotel Art & Tech
Hotel Royal Torino
Atahotel Concord
Hotel Continental

A complete (?) list of Torino's hot spot on www.jiwire.com

Other Contact: www.jiwire.com

Website: http://www.nais-net.it/torinowifi/index.php

Superstition graduate

At the time I was attending the university, here in Turin, we had the superstition to NEVER look at the Mole Antonelliana, before of an examination.
(I know, when we was students we could find a lot of funny way to justify for an examination gone bad).
Take note that one of the largest university in Turin, is just a block away from the Mole. So if you see a student looking at his own shoes, maybe he is not shy, but just going to have an examination :-)

The nowhere square

PIAZZA BENEFICA

If you ask to locals where is the street market near the new Courthouse, or where is the the Chuch of "Gesu' Nazareno", they will answer in Piazza Benefica.
Well, try to find it on a map, and... it doesn't exist!
This is another place in this city which has a nome known by locals but the has another official name... In this case the official name is missing still.
The popular name is due to the presence in the past century of an Orphanage, named "Casa Benefica" (Beneficent House).
The square is in the Turin quarter Know as "Cit Turin" (little Turin), and is off of the beaten path (maybe I have to create some pages on this). The most interesting thing here are the eclectical buildings and the Art Nouveau Houses in the sorrounding.
In the pics the details of the palace in the square.

See my other tip on the same issue.

Tango... a passion in Turin

Turin has a real passion for tango. Do you know that many italian expats gone in Argentina were from Piedmont? (I do not suggest that tango was imported in Buenos Aires from Turin, but...).
Every night there is some place where you can go to dance tango, and you will find a lot of people doing so (the most young people).
There are many course of Tango, Milonga and Valz. And even in more clubs the tango is spreading out.

So here the list of the clubs where to go for a Tango. (asap I will create the pages with info on this clubs)

MON El Charro Cafè
TUE Da Giau + Aldobaraldo
WED Cafè Procope
THU La Viruta + Circolo Deangeli + Maison Musique + Aldobaraldo + Amici del Remo
FRI Aldobaraldo
SAT Salon de Tango (2nd and 4th sat of the month)
SUN Caffè Blue + Aldobaraldo

You Are Here.

A fact that no one can argue about is that Torino lay on a Roman scheme, with the city streets strictly hortogonal each others. So it's hard for a local to get lost. Normally.
On the hill of Torino, instead, the streets become winding.
But, no fear! When you are driving toward the hill, you find this road signal, that explain you all the directions you like to follow up the hill.
Easy. Innit?
(uh, remember that there is a queue of cars behind you, while you quickly take a glance to the signal ;-)

Unofficial names: street by street

Here in Turin, as also elsewhere, have the habit to call some place, some street in a different way respect the official name. So it is useful to know the difference or you can get lost if you insist to ask about a place using the official name.
I'll try to list the most I remember.
NB: Piazza=square, Corso=avenue, Via=street.
Official name: "Piazza Carlo Emanuele II" -> colloquial version: "Piazza Carlina" (this is a funny one, because Carlo is the male name and Carlina is the female version of the name, and the locals want to refers to tha lack of virility of their prince Duke of Savoy)
"Piazza Repubblica" -> "Porta Palazzo", this refer to the presence of Porta Palatina in the nearby.
Do not confuse similar name.
"Corso Vittorio Emanuele II" -> "Corso Vittorio", so do not call it Corso Emanuele (one time one asked me this and I was really confused). And do not confuse the avenue with the square... "Piazza Vittorio Veneto" -> "Piazza Vittorio" or you risk a long walk.
Be careful about "Via San Francesco" because there are TWO streets with this name: "Via San Francesco da Paola" (near Piazza Carlina) and "Via San Francesco d'Assisi" (near Piazza Solferino) but the locals call both them simply "Via San Francesco" (habit that creates some mistakes).
Another source of confusion is that the street (and so the plate on the corner of the building) has a complete name (first name and surname) but we locals in some case adopt only the first name, and in other case only the surname. So "Corso Massimo D'Azeglio" is usually called -> "Corso Massimo", but "Via Madama Cristina" is usually called -> "Via Madama" (try to ask to some local where is Via Cristina if you want to see a scrap head contest)