TURIN, a city of Piedmont, Italy, capital of the province of Turin, formerly of the kingdom of Sardinia (until 186o), and of Italy till the removal of the seat of government to Florence in 1865. Pop. (1931) 574,35o (town), 597,26o (commune), thus showing rapid growth at the expense of the Alpine valleys (see ITALY) with a garrison of 8,500. The area of the city is 4,155 acres, and its octroi circle measures nearly 9 m. Built upon allu vial soil 784 ft. above sea-level, it stands upon the river Po. The streets and avenues, almost all of which are straight, intersect at right angles. In general it has a modern aspect, but its regu larity of form is in reality derived from the ancient Roman town of Augusta Taurinorum, which formed its nucleus. The mean temperature at Turin (1871-190o) is 53° F (winter 35°, summer 70), with an average maximum of 9o°, and an average minimum of i7°. Snow falls on an average only on seven days per annum. The rainfall averages 34 in.
The cathedral of St. John the Baptist (the see has been archi episcopal since 1515) is a cruciform Renaissance building dating from 1492-1498, by the Florentine architect Baccio Pontelli, Meo del Caprina being the contractor. Behind the high altar of the cathedral is the chapel of the Sudario or Sindone, built 1694) by Guarini as a royal burial-place. The "sudario" from which it takes its name is asserted to be the shroud in which Joseph of Arimathea wrapped the body of Jesus. La Beata Ver gine della Consolata, another of Guarini's works, has a tower which belonged to the church of St. Andrew, founded by the monk Bruning in 1014. Other churches of note are San Filippo (1672-1772) , the largest in Turin, the dome of which fell in just as it was approaching completion under the hands of Guarini and was restored by Juvara, and La Gran Madre de Dio, erected to commemorate the return of the court in 1814. The Palazzo Madama was erected by William VII. of Montferrat at the close of the 13th century on the Roman east gate of the town, remains of the towers of which were incorporated in it. It owes its name
to the widow of Charles Emmanuel II., who added the west facade and the handsome double flight of steps from Juvara's design (1718). The extensive royal palace was begun in 1646. Many of the baroque palaces have fine pillared courtyards ; some of them are the work of Guarini. The tower of the citadel (1565) contains the artillery museum. The Castello del Valentino is partly in the French style of the 16th century. It contains the polytechnic school, and geological, mineralogical and industrial museums, and the university botanical garden. The university, founded about 1400 by Lodovico di Acaja, had 2,049 students in 1925-26. The engineering school had 1,243 students and the institute of com merce and economics 554. The old university buildings erected 1713 by the Genoese architect Ricca contain the library, some treasures of which were lost by fire in 1906.
The academy of sciences, founded in 1757, is in a building erected in 1678 by Guarini and contains the local antiquities of Piedmont and Egyptian treasures partly collected by Drovetti, partly excavated in the present century at Thebes, Assiout, etc.
The pictures are by Van Dyck and by north Italian masters. There is a museum of zoology and mineralogy in Palazzo Carignano (an other of Guarini's buildings), and the royal palace contains the royal armoury (a fine collection begun by Charles Albert in 1833) and the royal library with its rich manuscript collection and its 20,000 drawings.
There are many modern public monuments including those to Emmanuel Philibert (1838), Charles Albert 0860, Victor Em manuel II. (1899), the Duke of Aosta (1902), Mazzini (1915). The Mole Antonelliana, built by Alessandro Antonelli, is used for the Risorgimento Museum. It is the highest brick edifice in Europe, its summit being 510 ft. above ground, the dome being raised upon a hall with three galleries, one above the other. The newer parts of the city, extending towards the south beyond the stadium (1911) are finely laid out.