Parco del Valentino

It is the city's best-known park, one of the city's historic and popular symbols.

The origin of the name is uncertain, but it would date back to the earliest Roman settlements; from 13th-century documents, it seems there was a very old chapel named after St. Valentine (176-273), preserving part of the relics of the patron saint of lovers brought directly from Terni. It is unclear whether the chapel then, fell into ruin or was destroyed, but the relics were brought to the nearby small church of St. Vitus on the hill across the river.

The Valentino area, on the other hand, was first inhabited by the Birago nobles, who built a villa there, and then Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy bought the whole area in the mid-16th century.

In 1630-1660 the castle of the same name was erected there, an imposing building by Carlo and Amedeo di Castellamonte, used as the summer residence of the Savoy family. The area grew from a simple river park on the Po to an organized structure with fine gardens. But it was not until the 19th century that the real work of modification into the present picturesque city park began, according to the romantic design of French landscape architect Barrillet-Dechamps.

Valentino Park was the site of several national and international expositions. On the occasion of the Italian General Exhibition of 1884, the characteristic medieval Borgo was built on the southernmost part of the park, based on a project coordinated by Alfredo d'Andrade, who was passionate, precisely, about medieval architecture. The Borgo was to reproduce the architectural styles inspired by Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta castles of the Middle Ages, complete with a visitable fortress. It then hosted the 1898 Italian General Exhibition (of which the twelve-month fountain survives) and the 1911 Turin International Exhibition.

While the medieval village is now used for periodic exhibitions and artistic-cultural events, the Park has instead been the site of numerous flower shows over the years (such as FLOR 61, staged on the occasion of the centenary of the Unification of Italy), of which large flower beds, the Rock Garden and the Mountain Garden, with small waterfalls, fountains and small streams, remain as reminders.