To paraphrase a famous saying by the propaganda minister of the Third Reich, when I hear talk of redevelopment in Turin I reach for the gun. Yes, because “redevelopment” in this unfortunate city means, too often, erasing the imprints of the past and, with a perhaps unconscious lust for ugliness, introducing banal artefacts of so-called street furniture.
Turin, a city that was once synonymous with elegance and nobility, is progressively losing its historical face.
The streets and squares that once shone with nineteenth-century charm are transformed into anonymous areas, similar to the parking lots of suburban supermarkets
This aesthetic disaster is the result of the wicked choices of the municipal administrations who, in a sort of destructive mania, continue to remove the historic stone pavings to replace them with porphyry cubes, Luserna stones and bitumen. The degradation is there for all to see, but it seems that Turin’s intellectuals, always ready to mobilize even for the most trivial causes, are blind to this disaster.
The more or less recent “redevelopments” of historic streets and squares are nothing more than an insult to the beauty and elegance that have characterized the city for centuries. This devastation, perpetrated with brazen arrogance, manifests itself in interventions that not only disfigure the aesthetics of the places, but also distort their historical soul. A clear example of this massacre is Piazza Solferino. It was once a jewel of Turin, with its paved floor that narrated centuries of history. Today, in its place, we find the sadly known porphyry cubes, identical to those found in the factory yards. It is not just a question of aesthetics, but of identity: Piazza Solferino has lost its soul, they have made it become an ordinary place, devoid of that unique character that made it special. Piazza Savoia was not spared. Here too, the historic pavements have been sacrificed on the altar of ill-conceived modernity. Replacing it with porphyry not only disfigures the appearance of the square, but also compromises its functionality. The original pavements, made with craftsmanship, were designed to last over time and resist bad weather. Porphyry cubes, on the other hand, deteriorate easily and require continuous repairs, with costs that fall on citizens. Piazza Carlina, another emblematic example, suffered a similar fate. This square, like many others, has been the victim of a short-sighted vision that fails to understand the value of the historical heritage. Places that were once full of charm have been transfigured and are now incapable of arousing the pride of the people of Turin.
But it didn’t end here. The central streets of Turin have been literally scarred by the asphalt. Via Cernaia and Via Pietro Micca, once majestic streets rich in history, are now anonymous expanses of bitumen and tram rails in the central part, with on the sides, sad witnesses, the remaining original stones, shamefully replaced with patches of tar in case breaking. Via Madama Cristina suffered the same fate. Now there are construction sites for the “redevelopment” in Via Po which will suffer the same fate. These works, according to those responsible, should improve the usability of the spaces and make the passage of trams easier. But the reality and the impact on the symbolic street of the historic center will be devastating. The elegance and history of the city is being offended, an act of authorized vandalism is being carried out which is transforming Turin into an ordinary city, increasingly less attractive. They are erasing the elegant and sophisticated look of the past with layers of concrete and tar. The blindness of the Turin administrations is even more evident when you look at cities like Milan, where the pavements coeval with those of Turin are preserved, maintained and valorised. Milan has understood the importance of preserving its historical heritage not only for its intrinsic cultural value, but also as a tourist attraction. The streets and squares of Milan, still paved in stone, tell a story that tourists are eager to hear and experience. In via Pontaccio, in the middle of Brera, the stone slabs cut for the rails when the tram passed have been restored. Trams pass through the paved Milanese Via Manzoni, as central as our Via Roma, but no one has ever thought of tarring the central part as happened in our Via Cernaia, but the list of horrors is long and desolating. Just one for all: the Fuksass eco-monster at Porta Palazzo! One of the most disconcerting mysteries of these events is the silence of the Superintendence, the body responsible for protecting the historical heritage. Where are the interventions to defend the historic stones of Turin? It seems that the Superintendency has abdicated its role, allowing wicked interventions to transform the city into a caricature of itself. It is clear that the so-called “redevelopments” are nothing more than superficial makeover operations, incapable of understanding the true essence of the city. Municipal administrators show worrying ignorance and a total lack of foresight.
They don’t understand that a city that wants to attract tourists must maintain and enhance its historical-architectural peculiarities. Every pavement removed, every square transformed, is a piece of history that is erased. It is preferable to opt for cheaper and less long-lasting solutions, rather than investing in the conservation of the historical heritage. These interventions, as well as being outrageous for their ugliness, distort the spirit of the city. Turin deserves better. It deserves a ruling class, not just a political one, that cares about its history and heritage, that knows how to see beyond the short term and that invests in the conservation of its beauties. Continuing on this path means contributing to condemning the city to an inexorable decline. It’s time to say enough to this devastation and give Turin back its true soul, that of an elegant and unique city.
