Turin is the one-time capital of Italy and there is no lack of things to do or see between the Turin Shroud, museums and churches but one of the city's most interesting features isn't readily visible or apparent. In fact, you could easily visit without ever being aware of what you were missing; a vast underground network of tunnels which feature dungeons, alchemist's caves, crypts, escape routes, ice cellars and, according to local legends, an entrance to the Underworld. There are even dedicated tours of these creepy and fascinating spaces so why not find a holiday rental in Piedmont and spend a day exploring Turin above and below ground.
The guided tours last three hours and are one of the best ways to see Turin's subterranean world. Somewhere, an Italian tour group offers one such tour which can be booked online through Viator Tours. The passages underneath Turin, as guides explain, were built originally as ice-cellars by the Romans and then more were added as an invisible way of defending the city from the outside attacks which they suffered throughout history. These underground defences then became adapted over time and the same spaces were used for other practical purposes as catacombs, storage spaces, escape routes and air-raid shelters during the world wars.
The tour will help you discover the listening posts, trap doors, ventilation system, and mine (subterranean passages under the enemy which could be collapsed to stop them in their tracks) and countermine galleries. The passages are like mazes, built to confuse enemies who would be unfamiliar with them.
Perhaps the most famous incident from the history of the underground passages is the story of Pietro Micca. The young man was a soldier during the War of Spanish Succession in 1706 and, when it seemed that the French would succeed in breaking into the citadel, he ended the four-month siege by lighting a bomb that would kill him and the French who were trying to axe down the door to the mines.
There is now a museum dedicated to the Micca where you can also gain access to some of the underground tunnels of Turin and even take a tour for just the €3 entrance fee to the museum.
Keep in mind that the tunnels are not the most hospitable or accessible spaces and tours are not recommended for those who have difficulties with mobility or who are claustrophobic. However, if you are feeling adventurous and don't mind exploring dark, dank, underground spaces, there's a whole different world ready and waiting for you under this beautiful city in Piedmont.
Perhaps the most famous incident from the history of the underground passages is the story of Pietro Micca. The young man was a soldier during the War of Spanish Succession in 1706 and, when it seemed that the French would succeed in breaking into the citadel, he ended the four-month siege by lighting a bomb that would kill him and the French who were trying to axe down the door to the mines.
There is now a museum dedicated to the Micca where you can also gain access to some of the underground tunnels of Turin and even take a tour for just the €3 entrance fee to the museum.
Keep in mind that the tunnels are not the most hospitable or accessible spaces and tours are not recommended for those who have difficulties with mobility or who are claustrophobic. However, if you are feeling adventurous and don't mind exploring dark, dank, underground spaces, there's a whole different world ready and waiting for you under this beautiful city in Piedmont.