The XVI century urban structure of Turin remained the same until 1620. During the Counter-reformation (1550) there was a parallel development: the urbanistic structure along with political and social structures. With the edict of 13th March 1619, Carlo Emanuele I defined the modalities for the Southern enlargement of the city. The works started in 1620 following the project of the architect Carlo di Castellamonte; the new blocks were called "Citt� Nuova". This part extended within the new fortified city-walls, the plan was due to technical-military reasons and ideally linked to the ancient Roman town, Augusta Taurinorum.
Every new development emphasized a new street or a new square which became the axis and the centre; the principal axis was Via Nuova (now via Roma), and the centre of the territory was Piazza Reale (now piazza S. Carlo), built between 1640 and 1650. The government buildings, being the ideal centre of the city, became important because they influenced all the other buildings in Turin.
In Piazza Castello there was the church of St. Lorenzo by Guarini (1634-1647). Besides religious festivities, civil festivities and military parades also took place in the square: the structure of the square was modified and enriched with pavillions and fictitious fronts. The public space in the square allowed spectators to watch civil festivities and military parades.
In 1621 the "Magistrato delle Fabbriche" was institued, under Savoia's direct dominion, which had to superintend the building of public property and to check the regularity of private property. Besides the ducal power there was the civic autority of Turinese municipality: the political life of the city alternated with a series of privileges, autonomies, discipline and conflicts of authority.
While the dukes were promoting the renewal and embellishment of the built-up area, the commune followed the works of roads, streets, bridges, the organization of the markets and so on. By 1658 Turin had the seat of the civic administration which was in Piazza delle Erbe (now Palazzo di Citt�). In 1666 the new Civic Tower, built in Via Dora Grossa to celebrate Vittorio Amedeo II's birth, was completed.
The second enlargement began in 1673 according to a project by the architect Amedeo di Castellamonte. In spite of the pestilence, in 1630, Turin thanks to immigration, was the only city in Piedmont to grow in population. It became the capital of a wider and wider territory and overcame the smaller towns politically and economically. Carlo Emanuele II decided to create a new building area but, due to the steep ground, the fortifications were not as parallel as the pre-existent streets. Via Po was the principal axis of the second enlargement and the square slowly lost importance; in this way it became parallel to the present Via Maria Vittoria, which linked it to Via Nuova and to Piazza Reale: now Piazza Carlina.
In this period the problem of emargination and beggary developed: there was only the Ospedale del Duomo (supported by Capitolo), which in 1577 was called Ospedale Maggiore of San Giovanni of Turin. Also the Royal House, Savoia, took care of it and the architect was Amedeo di Castellamonte.

Map
Go to the main page