The Chernaya street (Via Cernaia) is one of the most important streets of the historic center of Turin, created after the Crimean war where the Sardinian army stood out at the battle of Chernaya.
The project to give this name to one of the main streets of Turin was set out as early as the Paris peace treaty that ended the Crimean war. However, many people remained skeptical, because the Russian name Tchernaia which means "black", seemed practically unpronounceable. Finally, the problem was solved by Italianizing the Russian name in Cernaia, whose sound resembles the original name as much as possible.
This street goes from the XVIII December Square ( Piazza XVIII Dicembre) to the Solferino Square (Piazza Solferino), thus connecting the Torino Porta Susa station to the Alfieri Theater. It joins the street of Pietro Micca which leads to the main square of Turin: the Place de Castello (Piazza Castello).
Chernaya street
Along this street you can see two large statues of the sculptor Giuseppe Cassano, dedicated to two important personalities of Turin’s history: Alessandro Ferrero della Marmora and Pietro Micca. The first is in a small garden shaded by majestic trees planted in the 19th century (La Marmora's garden). It dates back to 1867. The second, at the corner of Boulevard Galileo Ferraris and street of Chernaya, was erected in 1864.
Pietro Micca
Pietro Micca (6 March 1677, Sagliano, Piedmont - 30 August 1706, Turin) was a Piedmontese soldier who died heroically for his homeland in the defence of the citadel of Turin, besieged by the French, during the war of the Spanish succession. He is commemorated as an Italian hero.
The remarkable buildings on this street are:
1. The Great barracks of Carabinieri of Chernaya (via Cernaia, 23), an austere building, built in 1864, a few years after the unification of Italy, on land previously occupied by the ancient citadel (see barracks of Chernaya).
2. The Palace of RAI (Palazzo RAI), built in 1968, is one of the few skyscraper-style buildings in Turin.
(RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiana is the national public broadcasting company of Italy).
The battle of Chernaya which gave its name to this Street, was a battle in the Crimean war. It took place between Franco-Piedmontese-Ottoman and Russian troops near the river of the same name on August 16, 1855.
