Baroque castles and royal palaces, regal arcaded squares and stately tree-lined boulevards, all crowned by a breathtaking alpine backdrop. Turin displays all the grace of the Savoy family, a name that has become synonymous with the refined and luxurious. It was a style that bred a sophisticated salon society of intellectuals and thinkers; in the city?s rarefied aristocratic and artistic cafés the idea of an Italian Republic was converted from a twinkle into a reality. Yet beneath Turin?s classic exterior lurks the rebellious and possessed soul of an awkward child prodigy, with a personality that shys away from the normal Italian froth and bubble. It is the product of an incongruous collection of assets and eccentric character traits that combine to cast a peculiar sense of alchemy, like a shroud, over the city. It is these attractions, veiled in alpine mist and mystery, and for so long obscured by the fog of ignorance and stereotypes, that have kept Turin one of Italy?s best-kept secrets.