Piazza Castello
Piazza Castello features on the Gingerguide audio walk through Turin. Give it roughly ~30 min: enough to look, hear a two to three minute story on the spot, and ask the AI guide whatever the story leaves open.
- Type square
- Suggested visit ~30 min
- Turin Turin guide
About Piazza Castello
The grand heart of Turin's historic centre, a magnificent Baroque square ringed by royal buildings, arcaded palaces, and the medieval Palazzo Madama at its centre.
Piazza Castello is the ceremonial heart of Turin, the vast square from which all major streets of the Baroque city radiate. Measuring approximately 180 by 140 metres, it is ringed by some of the finest Baroque architecture in Italy. On the north side stands the Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace) with its elaborate iron gates. To the west is the Palazzo Madama, a medieval castle with a stunning Baroque facade added by Juvarra in 1721. The Teatro Regio opera house, rebuilt after a fire in the 1970s, occupies the east side. The entire perimeter of the square is lined with arcaded porticoes that shelter pedestrians from rain and sun, part of Turin's famous 18 kilometres of covered walkways. Beneath the square's paving stones runs part of the Roman street grid, Augusta Taurinorum was laid out with rigid Roman precision in the first century BCE, and Piazza Castello stands on the site of the ancient forum.
Did you know? Turin's famous 18 km of arcaded porticoes, radiating from Piazza Castello, are the longest continuous covered walkways of any city in Europe.
How long is a visit to Piazza Castello?
Set aside roughly ~30 min for Piazza Castello. That covers a good look and the narrated story, and because you set the pace you can always stay on.
Is Piazza Castello worth your time?
Piazza Castello is among the 22 narrated highlights the Gingerguide team chose for Turin, so it is worth a look. Hear the story for the context, then ask the AI guide for anything more.
Nearby stops in Turin
Hear the story of Piazza Castello
Preview the Turin tour free in the Gingerguide app.