Turin, city of urban symbols and hidden details

One of the jars in the Nutella® Buongiorno limited edition, created in collaboration with ENIT, is dedicated to Turin, chosen as one of the cities of art representing Italy's heritage. The design tells this city’s story through several elements - the Mole Antonelliana, the Torets, the Po and the Alps - embodying the spirit of the place, together with a selection from the local culinary tradition.

One of the most recognisable symbols is the Mole Antonelliana, whose history is surprisingly non-linear. It began life as a synagogue and was gradually altered, growing to far exceed its original size and becoming one of the tallest masonry buildings in Europe. To this day, it remains a visual landmark in the city and a building that is constantly being reinterpreted. One little-known detail concerns its dome which, since 2000, has been home to the permanent light installation Il volo dei numeri created by Mario Merz as part of the ongoing Luci d'Artista project. The numbers in this Fibonacci sequence, arranged vertically in red neon tubes, run up the structure of the Mole, evoking the idea of natural growth and transformation. This contemporary work communicates with the building’s historic architecture, adding a further level of interpretation.

Alongside the Mole, the jar also displays Turin’s Torets, the green fountains featuring a bull’s head dotted around the city, created at the end of the 19th century to provide free drinking water for inhabitants and visitors. Some also have a second outlet underneath so that animals can drink too. Over time, these Torets and their use have become a distinctive element of the urban space, a gesture uniting local people and visitors in a simple ritual that speaks of the deep bond between Turin and its symbol: the bull.

This symbol can also be found in the paving of Piazza San Carlo, where a long-standing tradition invites people to step on the bronze effigy in the hope of returning to Turin, a simple act that has become part of the collective imagination.

The visual narrative is completed by the River Po and the outline of the Alps, defining elements of Turin’s landscape, framing the city in a unique and perfectly integrated natural setting.

On a culinary level, the design highlights one of the local specialities, namely baci di dama. The origin of these biscuits is linked to the city of Tortona and dates back to the 19th century. One of the most popular stories has it that the recipe was created at the behest of the Savoy court, seeking a cake to showcase the area’s hazelnuts. The name is said to derive from the shape: two hemispheres coming together, reminiscent of a kiss. The recipe on the jar reinterprets them using Nutella®, upholding the tradition while adapting it to contemporary tastes.