It was shrouded in secrecy but now we know. It’s Eurovision 2022 in Torino.
I’m grateful to my old friend Stefannia for flagging up that the Pride of Piedmont has got the big gig.
We’re pointed to the YouTube promo for the renewal of the live audience Eurovision.
And won’t that just be glitzier than ever for a couple of years without fans.
And, of course, we’re given the lowdown on Torino (Turin to non-Italians, or stranieri).
Sip it up
Did you know, for example, that the espresso originated in Torino in 1895?
And is the handiwork of Torinese Angelo Moriondo who was from a liquer making family.
Which brings us to Espresso Martinis and Porn Stars which my own Son and Heir has a penchant for… the cocktails, of course, the cocktails!
L’automobile
Most of us probably do know, but there is no harm in repeating it, that Torino is the home of the Italian automobile industry.
Opened in 1960 and dedicated to Fiat founder Giovanni Agnelli, you can track the history in the National Automobile Museum – Turin,
It is, of course, a history which dates back to 1899.
You’ll naturally see the evolution of the motor car and our efforts at driving faster.
For some of us just getting the old Fiat 500 out of the car park is a push, but that’s another story.
Over to you Signora Mayor
And naturally the First Lady of Torino (i’ll not call her Prima Donna as it hasn’t translated well into English and she is anything but) is the city’s biggest fan.
Chiara bigs up Torino’s technological and environmental advances.
And that it is home to the first selfd-driving car (and that’s where I went wrong with the Fiat 500!)
She is keen to promote Torino as a city of inclusion.
Of ‘loving differences’ and she directs us to the Porta Palazzo.
It is the largest open-air market ‘where you can get a taste of the whole world within a walk’.
All under the tag of ‘A Symphony of Loud Beginnings’ we’re already sold.
And looking forward to the big event at the PalaOlimpico on May 14.
Say it loud, say it Shroud
‘The icon of a man scourged and crucified.’ So speaketh Pope Francis on the matter.
Whether it is in fact Christ, and it has been debated since it was first mentioned in 1354, it is kept in the Cathedral of Turin.
Christ’s public appearances, of course, are rare so look out for announcements of displays of the Shroud.
And other gods
For those of you who love their calcio (football to the rest of us) then the Allianz Stadium is a must when you’re in town for EuroVision.
It’s where the Old Lady or Vecchia Signora (that’s the nickname of the aristocratic Juventus) and I Granata (the Torino Maroons) play.
Of course such football rivalries are played out every weekend in the great city.
Now I’m a great fan of the North of Italy and am hankering for Italia again as it’s a year since I visited Bergamo.
So I’m planning for next year. And for May it’s Eurovision 2022 in Torino.
