Where Eagles Dare was filmed in 1968, The Italian Job a year later. The former, as perhaps evidenced by this website, is my favourite film but the latter is one I still smile at and enjoy. There were many reasons for wanting to visit Turin and The Italian Job was just one.
My trip in late March started in Rugby after my aunt and uncle kindly offered to have my mum whilst I was away. My journey to Gatwick via Watford and Clapham Junctions was straightforward as was the British Airways flight to Verona. Turin would undoubtedly have been more convenient but timings made Verona a better option on this occasion. Just my type of airport too: in and out and on to the Airport bus in about fifteen minutes. Brilliant.
I had booked into a Verona hotel which, predictably, I changed finding a more convenient option surrounded by restaurants and just under five minutes walk to Verona Arena, the amphitheatre which I had visited about thirty-five years ago for a five-hour opera. Also predictably, I noticed after booking that the latest check-in was 7 p.m. which wasn't going to happen but the B&B said that they would send instructions on how to effect entrance without the need to see anyone for a key. They did, and it worked a treat.

Essentially, I had to call a number outside the shared building whereupon the door would open at the first ring. This was circumvented when someone came out of the building and I shot inside. A further code was required to get inside the B&B: this also worked. I knew my room number and the key was there too so it was perfect.
I had booked return rail tickets from Verona to Turin through Trenitalia. Other than the e-mail confirmations not arriving and causing slight hassle as a PNR reference was required - there were other codes easy to find but not the PNR - the system worked well and I collected the tickets from a counter as the ticket machines wanted a lot more information. As I am returning to Italy shortly, I now have a Trenitalia account which makes it better still.
I enjoyed a pleasant meal in the piazza opposite the Arena. There are plenty of restaurants, all with excellent views of the Arena and most seemed very good value given the views.
The journey to Turin the following morning took around two-and-a-half hours and was pleasant. A seat number was given and my heart rather sank when I saw a group of schoolchildren in the carriage. My spirits were lifted when they appeared to be in carriage 7 and my reservation was in carriage 8. That soon vanished when there was no carriage 8 but the conductress, albeit surprised that I had not been informed and given a new seat number, said that she would not put me in carriage 7 because of the group but to take a seat in carriage 6. It was very comfortable.

Of the few film locations I have researched excluding Where Eagles Dare, I must say that The Italian Job and The Great Escape appear to have been filmed in a smaller, general area than Where Eagles Dare which encompasses quite a large area of Austria and some in Switzerland. I expected to have time to look at a few areas of Turin where The Italian Job was shot but recognised others whilst walking around. The first place was directly opposite Turin's Porta Nuova station where the minis took to some subway stairs as part of their enterprising escape. That subway is still there but its entrance is now further round the corner and the original has been blocked off.
I stayed in the Hotel Serenella which was very close to Turin's focal point and considerably highest building, the Mole Antonelliana which is a cinema museum. For someone like me, it's a good idea to stay somewhere close by to such an imposing building as it means that I know roughly where I am heading for... The Serenella, like the Verona B&B, is part of a large building and my room was a decent size. The staff were very helpful and accommodating and, considering its position, was very good value.

I should do better in speaking Italian. I have, however, always taken the "manana" option and never seem to learn enough words to be able to cobble together a few sentences at least and therefore there is quite often a good amount of hand-waving. This time, though, I did slightly better and even found myself twice calling the hotel for information - from the hotel, usually because the places were small and modest and staff may have been on other missions. These brief chats were fun and it has encouraged me to try harder for my next visit in a few weeks time.
Turin is a lovely city and would rank highly amongst my other favourite cities. The architecture is beautiful, the wonderful weather undoubtedly helped and there are plenty of viewpoints to enjoy majestic views of the city and mountains behind. Care can be needed as cars are allowed in places which one may not always expect and the wait for a light to change before crossing a road can be lengthy.
On that first afternoon, I saw a good number of filming locations including the weir over the River Po; the Gran Madre di Dio Church which is very much worth a visit; the Villa della Regina and the Galleria Subalpina, another area where minis appeared where one doesn't expect minis to appear.
One of the other reasons for visiting Turin was the Shroud. Of course, it is rarely available to see but the chapel inside the Duomo (Cattedrale di San Giovanni Battista) shows where the Holy Shroud lies and naturally attracted many visitors when I went. The cathedral is beautiful but I did not have time to go inside the bell tower preferring instead to go to the Shroud Museum (Museo di Sindone) a comparatively short distance from the cathedral.

I have to say that I did not find it especially well signposted and wondered if I would indeed find it. Fortunately, perseverance is a virtue and I was very pleased to eventually come across it. The entrance fee of 6 euros included a tour by a volunteer guide who spoke excellent English and showed me the salient parts before leaving me in the museum.
The lady gave compelling reasons for believing that the crucified figure depicted upon the linen could be Jesus despite research a while back suggesting that it dates back only as far as the 1200 or 1300s. The linen's journey has been far and wide and has survived fires (although marks of it are still visible) but has resided in Turin for over 400 years.

The museum is fascinating especially a bust of Jesus at the time of his resurrection, a subject less usual than depictions of the cross. I came away far better informed on the subject and, whatever one's beliefs on the subject, I would wholeheartedly recommend a visit.
The final reason for going to Turin was to make a journey to the ski resort of Cervinia in the hope of seeing the Matterhorn (or Monte Cervino) from the Italian side. I have visited Zermatt on endless occasions and loved the place enormously so was curious to see the iconic mountain from the other side.
Alas, it didn't happen. It is quite a trek these days from Turin due to railway works along the way which mean an additional bus journey en route rather than a direct train to Chatillon Saint-Vincent. I didn't fancy two short connections so made the journey even longer by allowing extra time but I was blessed with good weather and wonderful views of the mountains on the approach to Cervinia. It seems, though, that Monte Cervino was behind cloud/fog all of the time I was in Cervinia but, nonetheless, I was very pleased to make the journey even if it meant over seven hours travelling during the day. I enjoyed Cervinia but like Zermatt better.
My last full day started with a trip up the Mole Antonelliana with its staggering views over Turin and the mountains. One can book tickets online for 9 euros for the panoramic lift which whisks visitors up to a viewing platform above the cupola or dome in under a minute, I would say. I suspect that it is advisable to pre-book and I was first up to admire the views.

Watch out for your cameras though. It is a little precarious putting one's camera through the protective frame even with a net below. As far as I could see, there was no easy way of reclaiming anything which might drop into it.
At Porta Nuova station, I bought a daily travel pass for 4.50 euros which included the metro which I took to Lingotto for what was the famous Fiat Factory and its rooftop race track which has appeared in other films and not just The Italian Job. Again, tickets can be pre-booked for just 4.10 euros and, although this seems to have increased by almost 50% recently, it is still excellent value.

It is popular too. Groups were being shown around and a cyclist was being primed for a lap (although I have to say that I either didn't see or missed his attempt). My skates were my feet and, although the track has changed and now houses some thousands of different plants, it is still unmistakable. Monza's old circuit has its famous and daunting curves (parabolicas) and a similar one at both ends of the Fiat track (and very noticeable in the film) are equally impressive.
I also visited the nearby Paravela which is a sporting arena and which, in The Italian Job, saw the minis take to its distinctive roof and toy around with a police car. The Paravela is larger than I expected and was well worth visiting.
After collecting my luggage which the Serenella kindly held on to for me, I took a tram in the general area of Porta Nuova before boarding another Verona-bound train just after 3 p.m. Again, it was comfortable and, although there was a slight delay, I was still back in Verona at 5:45 p.m. I had received the same B&B's entrance details even though I was arriving before 7 p.m. and dutifully found my way through the front door and then into the B&B only to find the same room as I had had earlier in the week locked. I did discover another room with an available key but the receipt had someone else's name on it so I thought it prudent to pick up the 'phone and in rudimentary Italian explain the problem. It was quickly sorted out and seems that the other arrival that day had taken the key to the wrong room...
Yes, I guess that this can happen especially as I returned later that evening and swiftly tried to follow someone in rather than - lazily - search for my keys. I didn't make it so had to resort to the keys only to find once inside that I was in the wrong place... It seems that the key fits two separate buildings...

I returned to the same restaurant as my first night where we, and indeed all other restaurants, were regaled by someone trying to sing what I supposed were attempts at arias in front of the famous amphitheatre where operas are performed regularly. As someone who doesn't sing at all well, I cannot be critical but I would be surprised if said person assaulting our ear drums will debut in the more famous setting behind.
I also have to say that I found the vast number of people hooked endlessly to their mobile telephones quite distressing. I have long since given up moving out of the way of those who seem only alert to their telephones and occasionally am walked into but I would be even more disappointed if I had to go out with a companion who was manacled to a mobile for most of the evening. I had one message whilst away and that bugged me - sometimes a rabbit hole does seem attractive!
I did manage to visit Juliet's house and take a distant photo showing her statue and part of the famous balcony before making my way back to the B&B.
I was on my way back to England fairly early the following morning and everything went swimmingly. So well in fact that the British Airways flight arrived forty minutes early which allowed me a much earlier arrival back into Rugby (and a visit to Sainsbury's for Mother's Day gifts).