Juventus

While in Turin I went to a practice of the Juventus team. It was pretty cool to see some of the big names of football practicing their skills.

Juventus Football Club was founded in 1897 and have spent their entire history, with the exception of the 2006–07 season, in the top flight First Division (called Serie A since 1929).

Juventus are historically the most successful team in Italian football and one of the most successful and recognized in the world. According to the International Federation of Football History and Statistics, an organization recognised by FIFA, Juventus were Italy's best club of the 20th century and the second most successful European club in the same period.

Juventus have won 51 official competitions, more than any other team in the country; 40 in the national First Division, which is also a record, and 11 in UEFA and world competitions, making them the third team in Europe and sixth in the world with the most international titles won officially recognised by their respective continental football confederation and FIFA.

While most people form Turin follow Torino F.C, Juventus has a huge following nationally and internationally. Torino F.C is famed because on May 4, 1949, after having secured their record fifth back-to-back Serie A title, and on their way home after a friendly match with Benfica in Lisbon, Portugal, the airplane carrying the team crashed against the Basilica of Superga, on a hill near Turin (pictured below), killing nearly all the players and managers.

Turin

I had a meeting in Turin the other day and got to see around the city a bit. It is a beautiful city and really pleasant to walk around. There are some beautiful views with the Alps just to the north and west of the city. It includes the largest Piazza in Europe. Much of the city's public squares, castles, gardens and elegant palazzi (such as Palazzo Madama), were built by Sicilian architect Filippo Juvarra, who modelled these buildings on the Baroque and classical style of Versailles.






Turin used to be a major European political centre, being Italy's first capital city in 1861 and being home to the House of Savoy, Italy's royal family. I drove past the old palace which still looks stunning in opulance.

Turin is well known as the home of the Shroud of Turin, the football teams Juventus F.C. and Torino F.C., the headquarters of automobile manufacturers Fiat, Lancia and Alfa Romeo, and as host of the 2006 Winter Olympics.

There are a number of places there I would like to visit another time,, such as the old Roman Palatine Towers, the Cathederal and the Egyptian museum which is reputedly one of the best Egyptian collections in the world.