Turin is not visited by foreign tourists as often as the other cities on our map of Italy. But it contributes much to the country in terms of income and spirit. The FIAT (Fabrica Italiana Automobili Torino) company is the most important employer in all of Turin and one of Italy's major manufacturers, shipping the spritely cars that it manufactures around the world.
The main attractions in the city are the Duomo of Turin, the Porta Palatina, the Mole Antonelliana and the Museo dell'Automobile.
The Duomo of Turin has a very simple exterior but is famous because of the attached Cappella della Sacra Sindone which holds the Shroud of Turin. The shroud is a burial wrapping that supposedly has an imprint of Christ's body. When it was carbon dated in 1988 it was proved to not be more than 900 years old. Still, the shroud is stored in a silver container on the altar to protect and only a replica is on display.
The Porta Palatina is a 1st century building with a statue of Caesar Augustus in front. There are remnants of the Roman era in other parts of the city but fewer than can be found in other parts of Italy because it was one of the last areas of current Italy to become part of the Roman Empire, being annexed around the time of the Caesar Augustus.
Like the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the 19th-century citizens of Turin adorned their city's skyline with a striking landmark that rises high above the rest of the buildings. The Mole Antonelliana was, for a brief period, the tallest building in the world, with a unique spire that reached a height of 167 meters (548 feet). It is now an exhibit hall and a great place to view the city of Turin and the beauty of the Alps in the distance.
The museo dell'Automobile is a tribute the century-old Italian automobile industry that developed in Turin. It houses a lot of great Italian cars like Maseratis, Ferraris, and Fiats. There are Bugattis and Lancias, the first car driven in Italy and the first Fiat. In the museum's library, you can learn more about the design and development of Italian cars.
Turin is not far from the tallest mountains in western Europe, Monte Bianco (Mount Blanc) at 4810 meters (15,780 feet-taller than Mt. Whitney) and Monte Cervino (the Matterhorn that is replicated as the bobsled ride at Disneyland) at 4,478 meters (14,691 feet). On both mountains, you can ride cable cars to enjoy the incredible views and you can ski. You can visit the monestary where the great breed of St. Bernard dogs were developed and trained as you briefly cross into Switzerland. In 1922, the Parco Nazionale del Gran Paradiso was created from the hunting estate of the ruling family of the area, the Savoys. It preserves a part of the wilderness mountain area that typifies the Italian Alps.
And within a day's drive from Turin, you can tour the town of Aosta which the Romans captured in 25 BC. The Roman ruins in Aosta are more interesting than those found in Turin, so that if you are nearby, you should try to make the side trip to this city.
Would you like to meet a student who lives in Turin? 
