Parco del Valentino

The oldest and best-known park in Torino, criss-crossedwith tree-lined paths and cycle tracks, is ideal for a pleasant break immersed in nature, on foot or by bike.

The main entrance is through the Arco monumentale all’Artigliere (Monumental Arch to the Artilleryman) by Pietro Canonica (1930), and the park’s 550,000 sq.metres makes it the “green lung” of Torino. It was designed as a public park for the city during the midnineteenth century by the landscape gardener Barrilet-Deschamps.

On the opposite bank, overlooking the Po, are the rowing clubs and many characteristic haunts of Borgo Crimea. Located in the park, the Orto Botanico (Botanical Garden), opened in 1729, with an orangery, heated greenhouse and herbarium-museum, nowadays boasts a collection of over 4,000 species of local flora and medicinal herbs. The “Boschetto” (grove) of exotic species dates back to 1830-40.