Torino, a city rich in history and culture, conceals within its streets and squares a precious heritage from ancient Rome. Although the city is best known for its Baroque and Renaissance periods, traces of Roman rule and ancient Roman architecture are still visible today in the ruins. The ruins tell of the city’s glorious past and more subtly in the city plan with streets organised as a grid in almost every district. The city dates back to Roman times, when it was founded in 28 B.C. under the name Julia Augusta Taurinorum, becoming an important commercial and military centre over the centuries.

The destinations below can be viewed on our Google Map of Torino’s Roman Legacy.

Visiting the Roman Ruins

The ruins of Torino’s Roman past are centrally located and easy to visit. The simplest route connects Porta Palatina to the Roman Theatre. It is about 1.5 kilometres long and can be covered on foot or by bicycle.

To travel deeper into Torino’s Roman history, a more comprehensive route would include a visit to the remains of the Roman city’s defensive walls and domus (town houses). This route is about 3 kilometres long and can be covered on foot in about an hour.

Porta Palatina

The Porta Palatina represents one of the most important symbols of ancient Roman Torino and is one of the best-preserved Roman gates in Italy. Also known as the Porte Palatine (an incorrect pluralisation), they are what remains of the Porta Principalis Dextra (Right-Side Main Gate) of the old town. The Porta Palatina was the western entrance (one of the four gates) through the city walls built in the 1st century BC to protect the city of Julia Augusta Taurinorum. 

Located in Piazza Castello, the gate consists of two flanking arches and guard towers which are about 25 metres high and decorated with Corinthian half-columns. The gates have reliefs depicting mythological scenes such as the abduction of Europa by Jupiter, and served as the entrance to the historical heart of the city. 

The central arch is about 10 metres high and is decorated with a frieze depicting battle scenes and historical scenes, such as Julius Caesar’s victory over the Gauls. The name “Porta Palatina” derives from the nearby Palatium which was the ancient seat of the Senate, the Curia and the Civic Administration, and later the seat of the Lombard rulers, which supposedly stood in nearby Largo IV Marzo (though no traces have been found).

Torino, as a Roman possession, was also designed in the classical model of Roman centuriation, a geometric, grid-based town-planning system. The city was given the traditional orthogonal (square) layout of the Roman colonies. It’s square blocks were traversed by two main thoroughfares leading to an almost square wall structure and gates with access through the four gates that opened along the walls at the cardo maximus and decumanus maximus: Porta Palatina, Porta Decumana, Porta Marmorea, and Porta Pretoria.

Roman Theatre

The Roman Theatre is another important monument from Roman times and one of the best-preserved Roman theatres in Europe. It is located in the historical centre of Torino, partly under the Palazzo Madama. Built in the 1st century A.D., this theatre could seat up to 5,000 spectators and was the venue for performances, cultural events, and social gatherings in ancient Rome. 

The theatre consists of an orchestra, a cavea, and a stage. The orchestra was a circular area where actors and musicians performed. The cavea was the seating area with three horizontal tiers corresponding to the social class of the spectators. The stage, decorated with columns and statues, was where performances took place. Although much of the structure has been lost over the centuries, what remains is still an exciting reminder of the city’s glorious past.

Museo di Antichità

Torino’s Museo di Antichità (Archaeological Museum) houses a vast collection of Roman artifacts from excavations in and around the city. Amongst statues, mosaics, coins, and everyday objects, the museum offers fascinating insight into Roman life and culture in the region.

Among the most important exhibits are:

• The bronze statue of a bull, dating back to the 1st century BC.
• The collection of Roman mosaics, including the ‘Bacchus and Ariadne’ mosaic.
• The collection of Roman sculptures, including the statue of ‘Hercules with the club’.

The museum is divided into three sections. In the Archaeological Gallery you can admire the historical collections. In the basement of the Manica Nuova, adjacent to the ruins of the Roman theatre, you can visit the Archaeology in Torino section. In the Piedmontese Territory Pavilion, housed in an underground space linking the Manica Nuova and the greenhouses of the Royal Palace, archaeological finds ranging from Prehistory to the Late Middle Ages are on display.

Palazzo Madama Archaeological Area

The archaeological area located beneath the majestic Palazzo Madama reveals an even older layer of Torino’s history, a complex of Roman remains located under and around the palace. Here, excavations have uncovered structures from the Roman era, including a stretch of paved road and artifacts testifying to Roman settlement in the area. In addition to the Roman theatre, the remains include:

• The walls that surrounded the ancient city.
• The remains of several Roman domus (town houses).

The Roman walls were built in the 1st century A.D. and had a perimeter of approximately 2 kilometres. The walls are still visible in some sections, especially in Via Giuseppe Barbaroux.

The remains of the Roman domus testify to the high standard of living of Roman citizens. The domus were spacious and comfortable dwellings, equipped with all the comforts of the time. The remains are well preserved and bear witness to the high standard of living of Roman citizens, allowing one to imagine what life was like in the ancient city.

So much history!

There is so much to see in Torino. Take time out while you’re here to sample some of the historical sites.

Buon viaggio!