Turin‘s Borgo Medioevale, or “Medieval Village”, is not actually Medieval at all, but a collection of buildings created on the occasion of the General Italian Exposition (Esposizione Generale Italiana) held in th ecity in 1884. It is located within the Parco del Valentino.
Medieval Village Turin (Borgo Medioevale)
Useful information
Opening Hours: The Borgo opens at 9am and closes at 8pm in summer and 7pm in winter. The Rocca (the castle) is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00. Closed: The castle is closed on Mondays.
Admission: The Borgo is free. A visit to the castle costs 6 Euro. This includes a visit to the medieval gardens. A visit to the gardens only costs 3 Euros. Telephone: +39 0114431701/02. Address: Viale Virgilio, 107, 10126 Torino, Italy. Public transport: Bus: 67; Metro: Line 1 (Nizza)
History and description
The Medieval Village is located on the banks of the River Po and is the result of an idea by Alfredo d’Andrade, who shaped the project with the help of a group of artists and historians.
As a model for the Borgo they took some typical medieval buildings from Piedmont and in the Valle d’Aosta. Also the stores with ancient craftsmen help to create the atmosphere of a medieval village.
Towns that have been taken as examples are Alba, Bussolene, Cuorgnè, Mondovi and Malgrà, Avigliana, Ivrea, Issogne and Pinerolo. The church, for example, is inspired by those of Verzuolo and Ciriè.
One enters on the north side, over the Ponte Levatoio, through the gate of the Torre di Oglianico. Immediately on the left is the inn Albergo dei Pellegrini, with a fountain in front of it, and as one continues one can see medieval houses, towers, gates, etc.
At the end of the street one comes to an osteria. A slope along which some medieval war tools are displayed then leads to the castle.
The entrance to the castle is a copy of the castle of Fénis, while the watchtower is an imitation of that of Verrès. The upper floor has taken the castle of Manta as its model.