Built between 1640 and 1650, on the ancient walls field, was initially named piazza Reale. It’s the most beautiful Torino’s square, made from a drawing by Carlo Castellamonte (1637), who wanted to exalt the citizen unitary space. The homogeneity square’s composition it’s not made to isolate an individual palace, but it’s thought to overwork a global vision of elegance, clarity and simplicity. That’s why is called “Il salotto di Torino”, the high society aimed to live the apartments faced on the square where different commercial activities and market took place here. The Palazzo Solaro del Borgo, still faithful with the original project, is now the base of Accademia Filarmoncia and the Whist club (funded by Camillo Benso Conte di Cavour). An equestrian statue stands in the square’s core, the sculpture is dedicated to Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia and was named “Caval ‘d Brons” by his designer Carlo Marocchetti (1838). In the south-west side, the square has two twin churches, the Santa Cristina’s façade is a Filippo Juvarra’s project, whereas the San Carlo’s church, begun in 1619, was façade furnished only between 1834 and 1836, designed by F. Caronesi.
Caffè Torino and the Fratelli Satta confectionery still have the antique and original furniture. If you visit the square, you cannot miss Caffè San Carlo, opened in 1842. To favor the square’s visits, on the occasion of 2006 Olympic games, the square was retrained and blocked.