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Provincial capital of the Piemonte region of north-west Italy.　Population: 1,300,000 Located at the confluence of the Dora Riparia and Po Rivers (Italy’s longest at 652 km), the city is surrounded to the north-west by the Alps, and on sunny days the mountains stand out in bold relief on the northern side of the city. A United Italy became a reality under an initiative of the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1861. Torino was to become the capital of this new nation, but remained so for only three years, after which the capital was moved to Florence.　Although Torino lost its traditional function as a city of administration, the end of the 19th Century saw Torino revived as a new city of industry.　Aided in this revival was the Torino-based Fiat Corporation, which saw growth accounting for nearly 90% of Italy’s domestic automobile production.　With the decline of the automobile industry in the latter half of the 20th Century, the Turin economy underwent a downturn as well, but as the host of the 2006 Winter Olympics, a great rebirth of the city is expected. The Torino Card is a card that provides unlimited use of public transportion within a specified time period.　For longer stays, a monthly pass allows for unlimited use of public transportation for up to one month from the time of purchase. Busses are either orange, gray or blue, with route numbers and destinations marked so that they are clearly identified as busses.　DEach bus stop has a large sign board with bus stops served on each route clearly marked by arrows that show the direction of travel. Routes 3, 4, 10, 13, 15, 16 & 18 are all tram routes.　As with busses, each tram stop features a large sign board. For brief stays, there is no real need for a car.　Faced with congested roadways, limited parking and its adverse effects on the environment, driving in Torino can be less than enjoyable at best.