Once the Capital of the Kingdom of Italy and home town of Umberto Eco, Turin is known as the country’s most mystical city and is still underrated in terms of its art offerings.  Trace its royal legacy at the Palazzo Reale, the Palazzo Madama (Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque works including paintings, furniture, stained glass, ceramics, and textiles) and La Venaria - Turin’s equivalent of Versailles.

The birthplace of Arte Povera, Turin is also a major player on the contemporary art scene with several galleries housed in former industrial spaces. The Pinacoteca Agnelli (its futurist building once had a racetrack on the roof) boasts works from the 18th to 20th centuries including Manet, Renoir, Picasso, seven Matisse masterpieces and Modigliani.

The city is home to many historic cafes - frequented in their day by Nietzsche, Alexandre Dumas, Puccini, and Rossini – and is famous for its chocolate and of course the invention of the aperitif by one Gaspare Campari.