Piazza San Carlo Square

Address: Piazza San Carlo, 10121 Turin, Piedmont, Italy

Admission: Free (public square).

Piazza San Carlo is a principal public square in central Turin, Piedmont, laid out in the Baroque era and notable for its formal proportions and public ornamentation. It is one of the city’s best-known historic squares.

The piazza dates from the 17th century when Turin’s urban plan expanded under the Savoy dukes; the twin churches and surrounding façades reflect the Baroque and neoclassical phases of the city’s development. Monuments and buildings around the square were added or modified over the 18th and 19th centuries as the area became a civic and social focus.

Situated in central Turin near Via Roma and Piazza Castello, the square lies within the historic core and is a short walk from other major civic and cultural sites.

• Architectural highlights: Known locally as the city’s “living room” for its cafés and neoclassical façades; central features include twin churches and an equestrian monument.

Piazza San Carlo is in central Turin, a short walk from Porta Nuova station and well served by tram and bus lines. The main pedestrian thoroughfare Via Roma runs directly to the piazza.

• Stand in the center at dusk and look up to see the twin churches-Santa Cristina and San Carlo Borromeo-for a classic Turin postcard.
• Avoid the cafés immediately around the south side if on a budget; head a block away for better prices and the same view.