Every November Turin, Italy becomes a chocolate lover’s paradise. So naturally a pilgrimage was in order. The drive from Florence to Turin winds through the countryside, past hillside towns, through tunnel after tunnel. Taking at least one trip during your time in Italy is a great way to slow down and appreciate the country. A road trip means you can take part in an Italian road trip must: Autogrills.
Autogrills are a far cry from a gas station with an A&W or cheap sandwich shack attached. Autogrills serve real working-class Italian food: prosciutto sandwiches on fresh bread, real coffees, pastries, and pizza. For those more accustomed to ‘junking’ out while road tripping there are a selection of convenience store favourites. In true Italian fashion everyone stops to sit down and enjoy their meal.
Turin or Torino sits at the foot on the Alps, the capital of Piedmont and was the first capital of Italy after the Unification.
CiocolaTò, the chocolate festival takes place in the Piazza San Carlo. Over 100 chocolate makers in Italy come to sample, sell, conduct lectures, workshops and take part in a competition. It is nothing short of sinfully sweet. I recommend going for the weekend and participating in one of the workshops. Workshops are only conducted in Italian on a first come first serve sign up basis.
When chocolate was first introduced to the Savoy family in Turin in the sixteenth century, they loved the drink. So much so that, taxes on cocoa and sugar were low so the common people could afford it. Access to these delightful ingredients made Turin a centre of innovation in baking and pastry. Solid chocolates were not seen in Europe until the 1820’s. The first recorded one came from a chocolate maker in Turin, Italy.
Because of this legacy Turin becomes a mecca for Italian chocolate producers. Customers reap the delicious rewards of their hard work. Ferrero and Gianduja chocolates both call Turin home.
Piedmont is the home of the ‘Slow Food’ movement in Italy.
As a result, it is home to many restaurants, small artisan pastry and chocolate shops where you can stop for a treat. My favourite Italian deli and bakery, Ottavio, started out in Turin in 1921 before the family brought it to Victoria, B.C. in 1978. I knew what deliciousness to expect in Turin and was not disappointed.
As a volunteer at the chocolate festival I assisted with workshops and got to attend sold out lectures. Most of the chocolate makers fed me until I figured out how much chocolate is too much chocolate. The line is a lot farther away than you’d think.
If the chocolate festival is a not on your bucket list, Turin still has so much to offer.
Turin’s streets are in the Roman grid style of city planning. So it’s easy to find your way in streets lined with boutiques and, stunning architecture. Preservation of Baroque Turin is evident in places like the Piazza San Carlo, the church of San Lorenzo, and the Mastio della Cittadella which was built as a defence against French invasion. Come for the chocolate and stay for the sights.
Find discount car rentals and hotels here.
You can find information on the chocolate festival here.