The Orto Botanico of the University di Turin (2.6 hectares) is a botanical garden and arboretum operated by the Dipartimento di Biologia Vegetale of the University of Turin. It is located in the Parco del Valentino along the Po River, at Viale Pier Andrea Mattioli, Turin, Italy, and open weekends and holidays during the warmer months; an admission fee is charged.
The garden's origins can be traced as far back as 1560, when
collections of live plants were established at the Studio di Mondovì,
which moved to the university in 1566. Today's garden dates to 1713,
when Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia
established the Orto Regio. With establishment in 1729 of the
university's chair in botany, held by G.B. Caccia, it legally became a
part of the university.
Between 1730 and 1731 the garden was laid out in a geometric plan of flowerbeds within the Castello del Valentino's existing garden area (approximate 6800 m2), within which Caccia planted about 800 species. By 1762 some 1200 species were in cultivation. In 1796 Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia
donated areas west and north of the castello, bringing the garden's
area to somewhat larger than its current extent. By 1810 the garden
contained about 6000 cultivated plants, with an arboretum organized on its northern section (the boschetto), and the constructions of greenhouses, orangery, and herbarium. Between 1831 and 1839 further construction added more greenhouses, and in 1848 a substantial orangery.
But the subsequent century saw considerable diminution of the
garden. After 1876 various greenhouses were demolished to make way for
laboratories, in 1892–1893 garden space was lost to further building,
and in 1929, 1969, and 1977 additional greenhouses were eliminated. The
garden was extensively damaged, with loss of collections, during World War I and World War II
by neglect and bombings. However, the garden is now recovering. Prof.
Bruno Peyronel introduced an alpine garden in 1962–1963, in 1969 a new
greenhouse was built for tropical and subtropical species, in 1986
another greenhouse added for succulent plants, and in 2006 another for South African plants.
Today the garden proper cultivates around 2000 species,
with an additional 300 species in the alpine garden, about 500 species
in the arboretum, and a further 1000 species in greenhouses.
Although the garden is pretty small, but it is actually very interesting and provides a peaceful and enjoyable atmosphere for visitors who like to get away from crowd and chaos.
For people who criticize that the garden lack of pretty flowers and does not have a hugh species of plants, lets remember that there isn't much funding and it is more a vegetable garden than a flowers garden. Many plants and flowers are seasonal, so don't expect to see them blossom all year round.
Mercato Centrale is located in Porta Palazzo, where the huge open air market is.
It
was just a shopping complex with mainly shops selling clothings and
other mainly uninteresting goods. It is now renovated and upgraded to
quite a chic eating place where some really nice and impressive foods
are served at the ground floor, the first floor remains mainly shops and
with a spacious 'room' to serve for events, such as private party,
exhibition etc.
The most interesting aspect of this floor
is actually the terrace which can oversee the open air market at a
higher level, which makes it perfect spot to photograph the market.
Whereas, at the basement, there is the antique ice house, the ghiacciaie where once ice was kept and distributed.
The Mercato Centrale opens still past midnight everyday, being at the
not really safest spot of the town, it really needs to be a lot more
convincing to get visitors coming after the evening, plus the foods
although are of better quality than most eating places in town, but so
are the prices higher....
Please visit https://www.mercatocentrale.it/torino/ to know more about the place.
Black and misterious, and extremely suspicious...
A black cat near the river, staring at me while I was snapping photo of him.
There were a few wild cats living around that area, they seem to have formed a little community being free and wild.
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