Città di Torino - Settore Relazioni Internazionali

The capital of the Alps and the gateway to the Mediterranean, in the new, extended European geography Torino lies in an increasingly central position between the east, the west, the north and the south of Europe, at the junction between important areas of development and travel routes. The geographical position and the history of Torino (the first capital City of Italy and historically linked to France and northern Europe) are the basis for the relationships that our City is developing throughout the continent, on the one hand acting as a interchange between Europe and the north and the Mediterranean basin, and on the other hand as the prime mover in supporting the integration of the new European countries. The historical relationships between the Torino region and other areas of the world are also the basis of international contacts, beginning with the vast communities of Piemontese emigrants settled in South America and the relationship with the automotive department in the USA, China, Japan, Brazil. At the same time, international cooperation, peacekeeping activities and contacts with the Third World are an established reality in our city, which has a long tradition of social and international solidarity, thanks to the nineteenth century benefactors and the missionaries based here. All these elements make up a framework of relationships and strategies with interlocutors in Europe and on other continents, which have intensified in recent years thanks to the organisation of the 2006 Torino Olympic Winter Games and further international events.