Parco del Valentino on the Banks of the Po River
The Parco del Valentino is located on the banks of the Po river a few kilometers south of Turin. There are some attractions like the medieval village, the Savoy Castle and the beautiful botanical and rock garden and the fountain of the twelve months. alentino Park is the green lung of Turin. It stretches for several kilometers along the Po in a southerly direction. Beautiful paths run through the entire park and invite you to stroll and do sports. Of course there is also something for a little hunger on the way. In the center is the Castello del Valentino, the former residence of the Savoy royal family.
Parco del Valentino and the medieval village
The medieval village, Borgo Medievale
Just a few kilometers from downtown Turin is Valentino Park on the banks of the Pio River. The medieval village, Borgo Medievale in Parco del Valentino, is particularly beautiful. Borgo Medievale is an open-air museum where you immerse yourself in the magic of centuries past. The sight was recreated in the 19th century for an expo in the medieval style and resembles an archaeological site from the 15th century. Borgo Medievale has a couple of small medieval boutiques selling wrought iron, basketry and wines. It’s especially nice to sit in the bar on the riverside.
The wrought iron tree in the courtyard and the exhibitions on medieval paper scooping and forging techniques are well worth seeing. At the weekends, guided tours are offered to visit the Castello, which was modeled on the castles from Piedmont.
Valentino Castle
The Castello del Valentino was formerly a Savoy residence in Turin. Today the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Turin is located in the traditional building, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
While the furnishings of Castel Valentino were lost during the siege by Napoeon, you can still admire numerous frescoes from the 17th century. The Moncalieri apartment with the zodiac room, the green room, the Valentino room, the rose room, the flower cupboard and the lily room has also been preserved.
The bank of lanterns in love in the rock garden
Have a great time lingering the Valentino Park to the “Giardino roccioso” rock garden not far from the medieval village and Valentino Castle. The rock garden opened in 1961 and became the 100th Anniversary of the Unification of Italy. If you stroll through the park, you will see water features between plants and exotic flowers.
A special attraction is the bank of lanterns in love. The sculpture depicts a bench on which two lanterns sit and embrace.
The fountain of the twelve months
The fountain of the twelve months, “Fontana dei dodici mesi”, according to legend, was built on the spot where Phaeton fell. The son of the sun god Phaeton had taken possession of his father’s chariot and made the horses wild. Then Phaeton fell into the Po, where centuries later the Romans founded the city of Augusta Taurinorum.
On the fountain of the twelve months, the months are represented by twelve female statues. Four groups of statues inside represent the four Turin rivers: Po, Stura, Dora and Sangone. This attraction should not be missed.
Arrival and Parking
There are numerous parking spaces along the Parco del Valentino. Like everyone in Turin, these are with charge. A beautiful footpath and bike path leads along the river Po. We recommend using this to visit Parco del Valentino.
Visits for Groups
Groups with guides must be registered. The daily number of admitted groups is limited. We organize guided tours in the medieval village Borgo Medievale. Milano24ore is happy to help with tourist guides German or other languages, maps, and headphone system.