by Yara Farhat, Class of 2020
Nestled among lush green hills and bathed by the River Po and its tributaries, Turin is elegant and austere, with a marked Central European attitude and appearance. The city was the capital of the Kingdom of Italy between 1861 and 1865, and its royal allure has remained intact to this day.
Turin is also one of the most vibrant student cities in Italy. From the bar-filled Piazzas to the pizzerias, tasty restaurants, breathtaking surroundings, and evening activities, there is always something to do.
My name is Yara and I come from Beirut, in Lebanon. During my Bachelor in Management (BSc), I had the opportunity to experience 3 different European cities, all charming for various reasons. Still, I can surely vouch further that my favourite city to study out of Campus was precisely Turin.
The ESCP Turin Campus is located in a beautiful area. The facilities do give some rooms to study throughout the year. Nevertheless, it can get very crowded around finals time, which led my friends and me to explore the best places to work in.
Unlike in usual student cities, in Turin, working or studying in coffee houses isn’t widespread. Since you are not encouraged to take your laptop and stay awhile in a bar, let’s dive right into the places where you definitely can!
1. Biblioteca di Economia e Management – BEM (in Turin Campus)
Address: Corso Unione Sovietica, 218 BIS
Requirements: Card to enter; check with Student Affairs
Best use: Normal class afternoons/morning before the exam
The first address on our list is not far from home. Indeed, at the ESCP Campus, we are lucky to be sharing some of the facilities of the Management School of UNITO (University of Turin), one of them being the library.
It is vast and has many different sitting areas, as well as a designated space for group meetings and talking study sessions. It does tend to get crowded during the afternoon, unfortunately.
2. Murazzi
Address: Via Murazzi del Po
Requirements: None; nice weather forecast
Best use: Normal class afternoons / during the week/group meetings
One of Turin’s most popular locations is the Murazzi zone right by the Po river. Murazzi (literally meaning walls) is actually the common name for the landings, the arches, and the whole area located on the west bank of the Po, near the historic center of Turin. It is a significant and artistic area, great for studying and hanging outdoors by the river when the weather is good.
I love Murazzi a lot because of its location as well. It is just a five-minute walk away from all the caffès and restaurants of Piazza Vittorio Veneto, my favorite area in Turin to grab an Aperitivo, go for a coffee break or have a walk and come back to study.
3. Circolo dei lettori
Address: Palazzo Graneri della Roccia, via Bogino 9, 10123 Torino
Requirements: Nothing but consumption inside is best
Best use: Normal class afternoons / during the week / studying for finals during days off and weekends / small groups more ideal
As we would say in French, Circolo dei lettori is one of my “coup de foudre“.
The place is a charming as its name, decorated in the form of a saloon with a cafeteria on one side and some tables for working on another. It also holds lots of antique elements that make studying there all the more inspiring.
Further to the study areas, Circolo dei lettori is also a cultural center and a reading hub for bookworms and literature lovers.
4. EXKI
Address: Many locations
Personal favorite address: Via Dell’ Arcivescovado 2/E
Requirements: Consumption inside
Best use: Group meetings/ Normal class afternoons / during the week / studying for finals during days off and weekends
EXKI is a restaurant spreading a bit around Europe and has a few locations around Turin as well.
It is an excellent location for group meetings, as it can also get a bit noisy, but I spent a lot of time there because of the availability of the spaces, the WIFI, plugs as well as constantly available healthy food, drinks, and desserts.
Personally, the most positive aspect of this location for me was the Alberto Marchetti Gelateria right around the corner, perfect for your study breaks with your friends!
5. Biblioteca Nazionale Universitaria di Torino
Address: Piazza Carlo Alberto, 3
Requirements: Free membership card – ID needed to create it
Best use: When needing a quiet place / Mornings before exam/ Afternoons / During finals period
I left my personal favorite for last. Honestly, many of the moments I enjoyed most in Turin were spent studying at the BNUTO with my friends during finals.
To begin with, the location is ideal. The building is set in the center of Piazza Carlo Alberto and is thus surrounded by restaurants and bars for lunch breaks or post-study sessions areas.
On the inside, it has relatively wide tables, available space anytime you get there, and mainly lots of quiet to focus.
That area, in general, is quite vibrant, and the library is one of the best options if you want to spend a considerable amount of time on one spot without moving much.
And with this, we reach the end of my list of the best places to study in town!
Turin, however, is filled with many more options I haven’t had the time to try, such as Edit, MagazziniOz, and many other local libraries and student zones affiliated to universities to which you can have free access.
Enjoy your year in Turin at ESCP Business School!
*Due to the restrictions from Covid-19, some study rooms and spaces dedicated to students could undergo temporary closures and limitations. To stay up to date and find your favorite ‘spot’, we suggest you consult studyintorino.it periodically.
