I. A N W. Province Of Italy

A N W. Province Of Italy, in Piedmont, bounded W. by France; area, 4,068 sq. m.; pop. in 1872, 972,986. It is watered by the Po and its numerous affluents. The eastern and southern portipns of the surface are level or hilly; the northern and western are traversed by lofty branches of the Pennine, Graian, and Cottian Alps, containing many glaciers. Among the principal products are wheat, maize, mulberries, melons, and hemp; in the valleys rice and silk culture, and in the mountains cattle raising and mining, are extensive. The province is divided into the districts of Turin, Pinerolo, Susa, Aosta, and Ivrea.

II. A City

A City, capital of the province, in a large plain enclosed by the Alps excepting on the northeast, at the junction of the Dora Riparia with the Po, 77 m.

Porta Palatina.

S. W. of Milan; pop. in 1872, 212,644. It is remarkable for its fine bridges, that on the Dora forming a single arch, large squares and broad streets, the monuments and palaces in the new town, and its delightful promenades bordered by villas. Of the ancient walls, only the Porta Palatina and one or two other parts are now standing. The piazza Castello contains many public buildings, and is surrounded by palaces which extend along the via del Po to the collina di Torino, a pretty range of adjacent hills. The royal palace, on the N. side of this square, is remarkable chiefly for its size, and for its large library and interesting armory. In the centre of the square is the old palace of the early dukes of Savoy, restored in 1718 for the mother of Victor Amadeus II. and since called palazzo Madama. On the N. W. tower of the palace is the royal observatory. Adjoining the same square are the military academy and the theatre. The piazza di San Carlo is almost surrounded by arcades. The oldest church is the cathedral, the finest is that of San Filippo. A Protestant church was opened in 1853. The academy of sciences contains the pinacoteea or royal picture gallery, with celebrated paintings, and the museums of antiquity and natural history.

The university, founded early in the 15th century and reorganized in the 17th, has a magnificent building with a library of 200,000 volumes, increased in 1875 by Cavour's library, bequeathed to it by the marquis Ainardo Cavour. He also left 3,000,000 lire in real estate for the charity hospital, one of the largest of the numerous charitable institutions. A fine campo santo was opened in 1829. Despite the variable and occasionally rough climate, the mortality has lately averaged only 27 2 in 1,000, smaller than in other large towns of Italy. The chief export is silk. The principal manufactures are silk goods, jewelry, furniture, pianofortes, and carriages. - Turin was originally settled by the Ligurian tribe of the Taurini, whence the name. It was conquered by Hannibal, and under Augustus became a Roman colony under the name of Augusta Taurinorum. In the 6th century it was the capital of a Lombard duchy; in the 8th Charlemagne made it the capital of the marquisate of Susa; and in the 11th century it became that of the house of Savoy. The French held the city at various periods, but their army under La Feuillade and Marsin was signally defeated here by the imperialists under Prince Eugene, Sept. 7, 1706. They occupied it in December, 1798, and Suvaroff in May, 1799; and the French again held it from 1800 to 1814, when it was restored to the Savoy dynasty.

It was the capital of the kingdom of Sardinia till 1860, and subsequently of Italy till May, 1865.