Back in 1884 a big International exposition was set for the city of Turin. How were they going to make an impression? Well, they hired Portuguese architect Alfredo d'Andrade to create an entire medieval village inside the Parco del Valentino along the banks of the Po River. After two years, a wonderful little village was born on the site.
Yes, it's a glorious fake, but an absolutely compelling one. Like the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, which was built Panama Pacific Exposition of 1915, both outlasted their expositions because of their compelling beauty and the contribution they made to enhancing a public space.
The village and Castle is now a living museum. Classes are held in the arts and crafts practiced in the medieval, and children can learn a lot by just walking around and seeing the demonstrations.
Next time you're in Turin, or Torino, take a walk out to the Borgo Medioevale. And enjoy our pictures if you can't go.
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