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Résidences des Savoie

NHK World Heritage 100 Series (en anglais)

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Texte narratif (en anglais)

“Grissini” are made with the finest flour and baked to a golden brown. They are crisp and crunchy to the taste. They were invented here in Turin. Northern Italy was ruled by the Savoy Family in the 16th century and they decided to make the city their capital. It was the beginning of an era of prosperity.

This is the Royal House of Savoy - a World Heritage property. The Savoy Family acquired their fame during the 19th century when Italy was divided into small city states. They were ruled by other countries such as Austria and Spain. The Savoy family brought these small entities into one nation and took the lead in fighting for their independence. Italy won its independence in 1861 and Turin was chosen as its first capital. This is Vittorio Amedeo II, also known as “the Wolf of the Savoy”. He created the foundations of the Kingdom of Italy. “Grissini were first made in a bakery appointed by the Savoy family and near the royal house. Vittorio Amedeo II had been frail from birth. The family doctor told his worried mother that she should improve his diet. Grissini were invented to make digestible bread with fermented dough for the boy. Grissini became increasingly popular among aristocrats. When Amedeo II became King, he was actively involved in Turin’s planning and construction during the 18th century.

Many grand houses were built. The King confiscated land from the aristocrats and sold it to doctors and businessmen hoping to create a new middle-class. Aristocratic families were made to live in one building. The Ground floor was used as a stable, the 2nd floor was for the family, the 3rd was for the servants and the 4th was for craftsmen. Hence Turin’s orderly cityscape of four-story houses.

The King was behind the Grissini and also laid the city foundations. Turin still has several bakeries which stick to the original 18th century recipes. Many people queue up on weekends for freshly-baked Grissini. There is a rule to eating them. You have to break them in half. They shouldn’t be eaten without being broken first.