Detail of Spot satellite image taken on 19 January 2006 showing the city of Turin, host of the 20th Winter Olympics in 2006.
The capital of the Piedmont region in north-west Italy, Turin lies in the shadow of mountain peaks rising to over 3 000 metres, on a broad plain between the Alps to the west and hills to the east. The Po River flows through the city from south to north. The city’s pattern is marked by long avenues coming together in broad squares, and 24 kilometres of archway-lined streets providing shaded walks under the alpine climate.