Turin

Turin held a role in Italian history that its current reputation doesn't quite reflect: it was the first capital of unified Italy from 1861 to 1865, seat of the House of Savoy for centuries before that, and later the birthplace of Fiat and Juventus Football Club — a genuine industrial and cultural powerhouse that somehow remains one of the country's more overlooked major cities on international itineraries dominated by Rome, Florence, Venice, and Milan.

The Royal Palace of Turin anchors a wider complex of Savoy residences collectively UNESCO-listed, reflecting the dynasty's centuries of rule — grand enough in scale and preservation that it rivals royal complexes far more commonly associated with European monarchy.

The Egyptian Museum holds the largest collection of Egyptian antiquities anywhere outside Cairo itself, a legacy of 18th- and 19th-century Savoy-funded excavations and acquisitions, and it draws serious Egyptology scholars alongside casual visitors — a genuinely world-class collection in a city most travelers don't associate with ancient Egypt at all.

Turin Cathedral holds the Shroud of Turin, a linen cloth some believe bears the image of Jesus after burial, though it's rarely on public display — expositions happen only occasionally, sometimes years apart. The Holy Shroud Museum nearby keeps a detailed, permanently displayed replica and exhibition for the many visitors who arrive hoping to see the real thing and can't.

Turin's café culture runs deep and specific: the city claims the invention of gianduja chocolate-hazelnut spread (the ancestor of Nutella) and a strong claim to vermouth's popularization, and its grand 19th-century cafés remain genuinely operating institutions rather than tourist-oriented recreations. With the Alps visible from the city on clear days and prices well below Milan's, Turin rewards travelers willing to look past Italy's more obvious first stops.