The celebrations of San Giovanni, patron saint of the city of Turin, take place over two days. In the afternoon of 23 June, usually around 6.30 pm, the traditional parade in historic costume organized by the Association Piemontèisa takes place through the streets of the historic center. The procession is made up of a thousand people who walk through the streets of the center dressed in beautiful clothes of other times to remember the rich historical past of the Piedmontese capital. At the end of the parade, people gather in Piazza Castello or Piazza San Carlo (depending on the years) to watch the San Giovanni’s Bonfire. According to the tradition, if the pyre falls in the direction of Porta Nuova, the hope is good, and twelve lucky months will follow. Conversely, if the pyre falls in the opposite direction, the year, according to tradition, will be disastrous for the city. June 24 is a holiday and in the evening the Turineses go to Piazza Vittorio Veneto, along the banks of the Po river, to Cappuccini Hill or to the Superga Hill to admire the magnificent fireworks organized by the city of Turin to celebrate its saint.

The most characteristic Carnival in Piedmont takes place between February and March in the city of Ivrea. Every year people from all over the world flock to the city, where the famous Olivetti company was born, to witness the famous battle of oranges in which almost 600 tons of oranges are thrown. The brotherhoods of the city work a whole year to organize the event that has its origins in the legend of the Mugnaia Violetta who, by rebelling against the tyrant, subverted the established order of the city.

The Piedmontese autumn is full of events and one of the most representative is the Settembre Astigiano, where the wine show called Douja d'Or (which lasts ten days), the Asti’s Palio, which takes place on the first Sunday of the month, and the Sagre Festival ,which takes place on the second Sunday of the month.
The Asti Palio is a festival of medieval origin, born as part of the patronal celebrations of San Secondo, which culminates with a horse race mounted bareback, or without saddle. It has been going on almost continuously since the 12th century. In the two days before the race, the official tests are held and on the evening of the eve of the race, the "propitiatory dinners" are held in the headquarters of the participating districts, villages and municipalities. On the day of the race, in the morning, the blessing of the horses and jockeys who will run to defend the colors of their parishes take place, while in the afternoon a magnificent historical parade winds through the streets of the center. It is very difficult to find tickets to watch the match, but it is certainly an exciting experience.
On the second Sunday of September, however, the Sagre Festival is held, a great food and wine festival in which the representatives of more than 40 municipalities in the province of Asti offer their gastronomic specialties, accompanied by Asti wines, in a large restaurant “in the open” set up in Piazza Campo del Palio in Asti. Every year the event attracts more than two hundred thousand people to the small town of Asti who also come to watch the parade of peasant traditions: more than 3000 figures parade through the streets of the city wearing period clothes and showing animals, agricultural machinery and tools of the trade to represent the values and traditions of their farming world. The Sagre Festival is a great opportunity to discover the flavors of Monferrato.

The International Alba White Truffle Fair is one of the main showcases of high gastronomy and Italian excellence and takes place in the months of October and November. The heart of the event is the Alba White Truffle World Market, an ideal place to appreciate and buy truffles from the Langhe, Monferrato and Roero areas. Inside this space there are cooking shows with great chefs, sensory analyzes of the truffle and tastings of the great wines of Piedmont. The city of Alba, where the famous Ferrero confectionery company is also based, is an ideal starting point for visiting the Langhe. October is certainly the best month to do it because hills and vineyards are dressed in the colors of autumn. Furthermore, on the first Sunday of October, the Donkeys Palio is held in Alba. The event, although similar to those taking place in other areas of Italy, complete with a historical parade and flag-wavers, is very entertaining for the behavior of the donkeys during the race.

Turin, with its many Baroque and Art Nouveau buildings, is the ideal city for art and history lovers, but it can also satisfy industrial design and contemporary architecture fans.
Its heart is certainly Piazza Castello, overlooked by Palazzo Madama and Palazzo Reale and the magnificent San Lorenzo Church. The Roman archaeological area behind the Royal Palace, the Cathedral, the only Renaissance building in the city, the extraordinary Chapel of the Shroud, which can be accessed by visiting the Royal Palace, are worth a visit. It is absolutely necessary to visit the Egyptian Museum, second only in the world for the importance of the exhibits after the one of Cairo, and the Cinema Museum inside the Mole Antonelliana, from whose top you can admire an extraordinary view. It is worth walking under Via Po arcades to arrive in Piazza Vittorio Veneto, the largest arcaded square in Europe, and look out over the river Po to enjoy the view of the hill and the Gran Madre di Dio Church. For admiring the Turin perspective from the other side of the Po you can walk up to Villa della Regina and Cappuccini Hill. You will be not disappointed. Want to dive into the Middle Ages – all you have to do is walk in the perfectly checkered streets of the Quadrilatero, without forgetting to swing by the Baroque Consolata Church and then sit in the historic café “Il Bicerin”. Do not miss the Risorgimento Museum, which tells the story of Turin as first capital of Italy, and the Automobile Museum. There are also other palaces, churches and museums that you can discover on your own or during our guided tours through the city. For excursions outside the city, but without going too far, you can visit the castles that surround the city, especially Stupinigi Palazzina di Caccia and Venaria Reale Reggia, which can be easily reached by bus. Fans of contemporary art should absolutely visit the Contemporary Art Museum inside the Rivoli Castle; the GAM, the Sandretto Rebaudengo Foundation and the Merz Foundation.
For short stays it may be useful to purchase the Torino + Piemonte Card (TORINO+PIEMONTE CARD | Turismo Torino e Provincia) which allows you to enter numerous museums and take advantage of many tourist services at a reduced rate. For stays of at least one month it is very convenient to have the Abbonamento Musei card (Cos'è / Abbonamento Musei / Abbonamento Musei Home / Home - Abbonamento Musei).

In recent years Turin has won the title of capital of electronic music festivals in Italy. Even if the city has lost a bit her role of "musical avant-garde laboratory" that it had earned in the 90s thanks to bands like Subsonica and Africa Unite, today on the banks of the Po the situation is extraordinarily prosperous for techno and house music festivals. The absolute summer star is the Kappa FuturFestival, an excellence capable of bringing in two days over 40 thousand people in the city, while since some years Halloween has been synonymous of Movement, autumn version of FuturFestival, and Club TO Club, the other festival that makes Turin famous in the world of those who love electronics.

However, there is no shortage of events for more traditional music lovers. The futuristic Teatro Regio, designed by the architect Carlo Mollino, always offers a remarkable program of opera and ballet music. Instead for symphonic music you have to go to the RAI Auditorium, home to the RAI Philharmonic Orchestra, or to the Lingotto Auditorium.

MITO SettembreMusica Festival has been held. Through a cultural twinning between Turin and Milan, it offers great music at affordable prices. During  September, the Festival's events invade theaters, auditoriums, churches, courtyards and squares, transforming Turin and Milan into it’s audience. 

During spring, between April and May, the Torino Jazz Festival usually takes place, always bringing many international guests to the city.

The free concerts organized by the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory in its auditorium are an opportunity not to be missed.

There are many cinemas in Turin, many of which are in the center but there is one in every area of the city. Sometimes in the summer, films are shown outdoors in the Royal Gardens. Important film festivals and screenings in the original language are often organized at the Cinema Massimo. The Cinema Massimo is also home to the most important film events taking place in the city: in November, the Torino Film Festival is mainly dedicated to independent cinema; in spring, the Lovers Film Festival is dedicated to LGBTQI issues.

In Turin there are also numerous theaters. The main ones are in the center: the Regio Theater, which offers opera and ballet and where Giacomo Puccini, in 1896, triumphed with the "Bohème" directed by Arturo Toscanini; the Carignano Theater, an enchanting Baroque treasure where the first tragedies of Vittorio Alfeiri were performed, and the Alfieri Theater. Musicals and concerts are usually held at the Colosseum Theater, while the Rai Auditorium, built in the late 1800s and home to the RAI National Symphony Orchestra, and the Lingotto Auditorium, the best in sound quality, usually host of symphonic music concerts. At the Gioiello Theater cabaret shows often take place instead. An opportunity not to be missed are the free concerts organized by the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory in its auditorium.

Turin is a quiet city from Monday to Thursday, but the nightlife is very interesting on weekends. The best places to experience the Turin nightlife are the “Quadrilatero Romano”, Vittorio Veneto Square and the Vanchiglia and San Salvario districts where aperitifs and “apericena” are the most popular. For fine food and good wines lovers, Turin offers a wide choice of restaurants (including starred restaurants), trattorias (called "piole" in Piedmontese dialect), wineries and wine bars. There is something for all tastes and budgets.

In every area of the city of Turin there are gyms where you can practice many different sports, from aerobics to body building to yoga or martial arts.

There are numerous swimming pools, even outdoors for the summer: the most beautiful is Aquatica, which also has a gym, in Corso Galileo Ferraris 290. For tennis lovers the reference point is the exclusive Sporting Club in Corso Agnelli 45.

You can take canoeing and kayaking lessons in one of the many clubs on the banks of the Po river, play football, basketball and volleyball. There is also a professional rugby federation in Turin. There are elegant golf clubs outside the city.

A rather cheap possibility to practice different sports is to contact the CUS Torino, which is not aimed only at university students but for the whole city. To join you must request the CUS Card (free for the university system; at a cost of 20 euros for all others, including under 18).

In Turin there are also two important international schools for circus arts lovers: FLIC in via Magenta 11 and Scuola Circo Vertigo in Grugliasco.

Here you can find all the information about all the sports facilities in the city: http://www.comune.torino.it/torinogiovani/vivere-a-torino/dove-praticare-sport-a-torino

In Turin there are two stadiums, where the two great football teams of the city usually play their matches: the Olympic Stadium and the brand new Juventus Stadium.

Respectful modest clothing ( covering of bare skin) is recommended for visiting places of worship.
In Turin there are many Catholic churches, but also places of worship of different religious communities, such as:

• The Waldesian Church in Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, 23
• The Synagogue in Piazzetta Primo Levi, 12
• Santa Croce Church, today Orthodox community place of worship, in Piazza Carlo Emanuele II Square (better known as "Piazza Carlina ")
• The Mosque Taiba in via Chivasso 10.

For the historical and artistic value it is absolutely worth visiting:

• The Turin Cathedral in Piazza San Giovanni;
• San Lorenzo Church in Piazza Castello
• Consolata Sanctuary in Piazza della Consolata;
• Gran Madre di Dio Church in Piazza Gran Madre di Dio
• The “twin churches” in Piazza San Carlo
• San Filippo Neri Church, in Via Maria Vittoria 5
• Maria Ausiliatrice Church in Via Maria Ausiliatrice, 32
• Mercanti Chapel in Via Garibaldi 25
• Corpus Domini Church in Via Palazzo di Città 20
• Santo Volto Church in Via Val della Torre 11.

Just outside Turin, on the Superga Hill, the Superga Church is accessible by public transport and then by rack, a series of escalators , and it is a very attractive place that offers a panoramic view of the city of Turin.

Turin is a city full of libraries. Here are the main ones:

• Civica Centrale Library in Via della Cittadella, 5
• Nazionale Universitaria Library in Piazza Carlo Alberto, 3:

Some university faculties also have their own libraries, located in different parts of the city.