Turin's civic heart. Palazzo Madama anchors the middle of the square; the Royal Palace and the cathedral open off the north side; the Teatro Regio sits in the corner; and the long arcades of Via Po, Via Roma and Via Garibaldi all meet here. Most of the major sights are within five minutes of this single point.
The square doubles as a parade ground for Turinese life: students cross it between lectures at the university, the changing of the guard happens here at the gates of the Palazzo Reale, and Christmas markets and political rallies fill the open paving the rest of the year.