Turin

History

The Taurini were an ancient Celto-Ligurian, Alpine people, who occupied the upper valley of the River Po, in the centre of modern Piedmont. In 218 BC, they were attacked by Hannibal as he was allied with their long-standing enemies, the Insubres. The Taurini chief town (Taurasia) was captured by Hannibal's forces after a three-day siege. As a people they are rarely mentioned in history. It is believed that a Roman colony was established after 28 BC under the name of Julia Augusta Taurinorum (modern Turin). Both Livy and Strabo mention the Taurini's country as including one of the passes of the Alps, which points to a wider use of the name in earlier times. In the 1st century BC, the Romans founded Augusta Taurinorum. Via Garibaldi traces the exact path of the Roman city's decumanus which began at the Porta Decumani, later incorporated into the Castello or Palazzo Madama. The Porta Palatina, on the north side of the current city centre, is still preserved in a park near the cathedral. Remains of the Roman-period theatre are preserved in the area of the Manica Nuova. Turin reached about 5,000 inhabitants at the time, all living inside the high city walls. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the town, along with the rest of the Italian peninsula, was conquered by the Heruli and the Ostrogoths, recaptured by the Romans, but then conquered again by the Lombards whose territory then fell into the hands of the Franks under Charlemagne (773). The Contea di Torino (countship) was founded in the 940s and was held by the Arduinic dynasty until 1050. After the marriage of Adelaide of Susa with Humbert Biancamano's son Otto, the family of the Counts of Savoy gained control. While the title of count was held by the Bishop as count of Turin (1092–1130 and 1136–1191) it was…

Geography

Turin is in northwest Italy. It is surrounded on the western and northern front by the Alps and on the eastern front by a high hill that is the natural continuation of the hills of Monferrato. Four major rivers pass through the city: the Po and three of its tributaries, the River Dora Riparia (once known as Duria Minor by the Romans, from the Celtic noun duria, 'water'), the Stura di Lanzo and the Sangone. Located in northwestern Italy at the foot of the Alps, Turin features a mid-latitude, four seasons humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cfa), similar to that of Grenoble, located not far away in the French Alps. Winters are moderately cold and dry; summers are mild in the hills and quite hot in the plains. Rain falls mostly during spring and autumn; during the hottest months, otherwise, rains are less frequent but heavier (thunderstorms are frequent). During the winter and autumn months banks of fog, which are sometimes very thick, form in the plains but rarely on the city because of its location at the end of the Susa Valley. Snowfalls are not uncommon during the winter months, though substantial accumulation is quite uncommon. Its position on the east side of the Alps makes the weather drier than on the west side because of the föhn wind effect. The highest temperature ever recorded was on 11 August 2003, and the lowest was on 12 February 1956.

Most-observed species

• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  195
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  159
• Lesser Scaup

  Aythya affinis (Eyton, 1838) · Aves
  129
• American Coot

  Fulica americana Gmelin, 1789 · Aves
  126
• American Wigeon

  Mareca americana (J.F.Gmelin, 1789) · Aves
  125
• Canvasback

  Aythya valisineria (A.Wilson, 1814) · Aves
  114
• Redhead

  Aythya americana (Eyton, 1838) · Aves
  114
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  113

Most recent

• M 3.3 — 2017-11-22
  21 km S of Magrath, Canada
• M 2.9 — 2014-09-12
  13 km ENE of Picture Butte, Canada
• M 3.4 — 2014-09-07
  36 km SSE of Magrath, Canada
• M 3.5 — 2008-01-03
  13 km SSE of Magrath, Canada
• M 3.5 — 2006-12-30
  18 km SSE of Magrath, Canada
• M 3.2 — 2005-12-11
  16 km S of Magrath, Canada