Piazza Carlo Alberto and National University Library
Why is it significant?
Stand in the tranquil, expansive pedestrian sanctuary of Piazza Carlo Alberto, one of the most dignified and historically resonant squares in central Turin.
Key Facts
| Place | Piazza Carlo Alberto and National University Library |
|---|---|
| Address | Piazza Carlo Alberto 3, 10123 Turin, Italy |
| Geo Coordinates | 45.06880, 7.68750 |
| Part of Walk | Piazza San Carlo, Egyptian Museum and Palazzo Carignano: The Elegant Heart of Turin |
| Generated | Generated |
Stand in the tranquil, expansive pedestrian sanctuary of Piazza Carlo Alberto, one of the most dignified and historically resonant squares in central Turin. Created on land formerly occupied by the private pleasure gardens of the Carignano princes, the square was opened in 1842 and crowned by the monumental bronze equestrian statue of King Carlo Alberto of Savoy, unveiled in July 1861 by sculptor Carlo Marochetti: the king is depicted astride a charger atop a massive stone pedestal encircled by four allegorical bronze figures representing Martyrdom, Liberty, Military Valor, and Civil Reform. To the west, the square is dominated by the monumental nineteenth-century eclectic facade of Palazzo Carignano, built between 1864 and 1871 by Domenico Ferri, while on the eastern side rises the grand National University Library, housing one of Italy's greatest book treasuries. The open plaza regularly hosts antiquarian book markets and quiet strolls. The spacious square remains entirely closed to motor vehicles, creating an elegant haven where students from the nearby university read under the open sky.
Look at the commemorative plaque on the corner building facing Via Po: here lived the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche during the autumn of 1888, where he fell deeply in love with Turin's translucent autumn light and long arcades, praising it as an aristocratic and magnificent city before his tragic mental collapse in nearby Piazza Carignano.
The equestrian statue of Carlo Alberto was the first grand public monument unveiled in Turin following the formal proclamation of the unified Kingdom of Italy in March 1861, symbolizing the continuity of constitutional monarchy.
Notice the four bronze infantrymen and bersaglieri soldiers guarding the base corners: they commemorate the courage of Piedmontese frontline troops during the First War of Italian Independence in 1848.
Walk south along Via Carlo Alberto for a short block to discover the noble courtyard of Palazzo Campana.