Page 32 - Lonely Planet Europe’s Best Trips (Travel Guide)

Aosta Varese #
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A26
D' AOSTA Milan
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A4
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Novara
Turin p32
# ^ PIEDMONT
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A21
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Piacenza
A21
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1 Grand Tour Alessandria 0 ¸ 0 ¸
0 ¸
A7
E74
A26
Cuneo
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# Savona #
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] Genoa
LIGURIA
From the Savoy palaces of Turin and Leonardo’s Last FRANCE 0 ¸ Golfo di La Spezia
Genova
A8
Supper to the dubious drinking dens of Genoa and MONACO ] Imperia
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the pleasure palaces of Rome, the Grand Tour is Ligurian
part scholar’s pilgrimage and part rite of passage. Sea
Offering a chance to view some of the world’s
greatest masterpieces and hear Vivaldi played on
18th-century cellos, it is a rollicking trip filled with
the sights, sounds and tastes that have shaped
European society for centuries. FRANCE
Corsica
MEDITERRANEAN
SEA
First they travelled
1 Turin through France before
In his travel guide, Voy- crossing the Alps at Mt
age through Italy (1670), Cenis and heading to Sassari SARDINIA
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]
travel writer and tutor Turin (Torino), where
letters of introduction
Richard Lassels advo-
cated a grand cultural admitted them to the
tour of Europe, and in city’s agreeable Parisian- Like the Medicis in
particular Italy, for young style social whirl. Turin’s Florence (Firenze) and
English aristocrats, dur- tree-lined boulevards the Borghese in Rome
still retain their elegant,
ing which the study of (Roma), Turin’s Savoy
classical antiquity and French feel and many princes had a penchant
the High Renaissance turn-of-the century cafes, for extravagant architec-
would ready them for such as Caffè San Carlo ture and interior decor.
future influential roles (Piazza San Carlo 156; h8am- You suspect they also
shaping the political, eco- midnight Tue-Fri, to 1am Sat, pined for their hunting
nomic and social realities to 9pm Mon), still serve lodges in Chambéry,
of the day. Torinese hot chocolate France, from where they
beneath their gilded originated, as they
chandeliers.
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