Rome has its nasoni; Paris its Wallace Fountains; Portland, Oregon its Benson Bubblers; and Torino is proud to hydrate residents and visitors alike via its toret (in Italian, toretti, but in Piedmontese, toret, as I understand). 800 water fountains dotted around the city feature the head of a small bull, the same bull that gives Torino its Italian name. (The city was actually first named by the Celtic tribe — the taurini — who first settled it some 2400 years ago; the Celtic word tau means mountain). Should you visit the city, you can even download an app at a site that will fill you in on the history, politics, development, and maintenance of this important thirst-quenching symbol.
Not only on water fountains…the bulls that represent Torino are found throughout the city on lamp standards as well…
Although these heads are strangely matched . . .
to their feet. . .
Sometimes the research I do for these blogposts brings up fascinating bits of arcana. For example, this bit of graffiti which I snapped without knowing why, probably subconsciously noting the connection with those fountains. In our hotel room in Fiumicino I entered a few search terms in my browser: Michael, archangel, bull, torino. And I found an interesting legend that belongs much further south in Italy, in San Gargano, in fact. . . where a church was built to commemorate Michael the Archangel’s saving a bull from an archer by having the arrow turn around and shoot the hunter instead. You can see a version of the legend in this painting, if you’re interested.
Warning: Awkward segue ahead. . . .
Through this impressive doorway (one of several at the indoor part of Torino’s huge food market), we will find the bovine in another form . . .
not quenching thirst, but satisfying hunger . . .
Rows and rows of macellerie (butcher shops) in this food hall, with cuts and types of meat for every budget. I was most impressed by the stalls which contained pieces of meat — much of it offal, but also soup bones and offcuts — I wouldn’t know how to prepare. So much admiration for those who can turn these inexpensive offerings into tasty sustenance for themselves and their families.
But let’s leave the macellerie and head outside. You might not know that Torino’s Porta Palazzo is the largest outdoor market in Europe — and we were there on an unseasonably warm and sunny weekend just before All Saints’ Day (Festa di tutti i santi). What a busy place, but I still managed to find some space to take a few photos of the colourful food displays. Wish we could have had the internal domestic space to take some home and try preparing them ourselves (I’m really missing vegetables right now!)
Some form of zucca invernale (winter squash)
And this curly radicchio? So beautiful, and after a bit of research and guesswork, I can tell you it’s Radicchio Tardivo di Treviso (the site is in Italian, but there’s an English translation available).
Persimmons (cachi). . . as beautiful to look at as they are delicious to eat. . .
But let’s leave the fruits and vegetables behind for a quick peek at some of Torino’s architecture. . .
Not a representative peek, but an idiosyncratic view through the eyes of one slightly cranky visitor continually being disarmed, charmed out of her crankiness. . .
A week later, in another city, no details to offer about what I’m showing you or why, but perhaps you can intuit something from this mélange. . .
We’ll just wander, enjoying the sights and sounds. . . from the bigger architectural details
to the smaller and more ornamental . . .
even the ornamental details below our feet . . .
So much visual and textural delight all around, stimulating and nurturing creativity. . .
Purtroppo (unfortunately), I haven’t been finding or making much time for any sketchbook creativity, but while we waited for lunch last Saturday, I played with a sepia Caran d’Ache watercolour pencil to remember the statue looming above our table, the apartments overlooking the hundred or so diners in the pleasant square, the camerieri hurrying back and forth from the Piola da Cianci. . . And then to move some of the sepia around with my water brush, swipe in a cerulean sky . . .
We’re on a train again tomorrow, and with any luck there will be better Wifi in our new digs. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy this missive, these images from Torino / Turin.
I’d say, “Wish you were here,” but my “here” is currently on the move so I’ll just say,
Ci vediamo (We’ll see each other),
xo,
f
My daughter went to Turin earlier this year and loved it – told me I would love it too, and I think she was right, having seen these images. The bull seems to be a powerful image in a lot of Europe, perhaps a reminder of the long-gone aurochs. I shall wander downstairs now and see if there is coffee on the go, imagining that I am drinking a tiny cupful in a little cafe, watching the world go by.
What a lovely stroll through Turin this morning. I feel like have taken a little journey while enjoying my first cup of coffee.
How I love the details! This is exactly what I get caught up with when you travel. Thank you for sharing all of this. I also have to add that I smiled big at the sight of the cellist. My son is a cellist and he has played in many interesting places!
Torino looks lovely. It is on my ‘someday’ list. I have only been there to make a connection, and my memory is of beautiful, spacious (Not busy. Sunday? Early morning?) streets blurred by the stress of the race to make a very tight transfer from one train station to another…the kind of cab ride where you press your foot on the gas HARD although you are in the back seat.
My maternal grandfather had departed long before I was born. I know little about him, and we were not encouraged to ask questions. Not apparently well regarded in the family. all I know is that he was a stone mason, drank too much and had a bad temper, and he was from Turin. And that he complained that my grandmother , born in Naples, could not make a proper polenta. Now I know a little more.
Lovely postcards. The sketch of the looming statue made me smile – he’s kindly (his expression) and a bit malevolent (his size) all at the same time 😊 The architectural details you share are redolent of rich and ancient urban environments, which are always my favourite travel destinations. The patina reminds me of all the people who lived and visited before me, which I find comforting. Enjoy your new destination, ci vendiamo.
Lovely images of a beautiful city. I hope you enjoyed at least one bicherin while you were in Torino- the famously decadent and delicious layered coffee drink that is a specialty there. One of my favorite memories of Torino!
Torino may have just moved up the list a hair – it was already on there thanks to Mimi Thorisson, cookbook author married to an Icelandic photographer who lives there. I follow her on Instagram, and her (and her husband’s) images are quite appealing, but I don’t think they’ve ever shown the delightful details you show us. The fountains, the graffiti…. Lovely!
I always enjoy the small architectural details of a city. I took so many photos of door knobs in Venice. The grate and that little corner of building detail are calling me to Italy.
I hope that the next leg of your journey is going well.