Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 19.djvu/635

* TTJKGOT. 533 TURIN. ment in 1752, and iu 1761 was made intondaiit of Limoges, administering the affairs of that prov- ince for thirteen years, and carrying out within this field such reforms as the ancient prejudices would allow. He introduced a more equitable administration of imposts, and succeeded in abolishing the old metliod of repairing roads and bridges by the compulsory labor of the poor in- habitants of the district, the corvee (q.v. ). He also exerted himself for the protection of com- merce. A wider field opened before him wlien he was called into the Ministry after the death of Louis XV. The finances were in the utmost disorder, and the whole social and political sys- tem of France needed regeneration and reform. Turgot was first made Minister of ^Marine, and afterwards Comptrollej--General of France, when to fill that post was to be vittually Prime ilinister. His first achievement was so far to reduce the expenditure as to leave a surplus of 20 millions of francs a year to be applied to the lii|uidation of old debts. He augmented the public revenue without imposing new taxes. One of his first measures was the carrying out of free trade in corn throughout the interior of the kingdom. He ainied at establisliing complete freedom of trade within the country, and to make the no- bility and clergy contri1)ute to the public reve- nue in the same proportion as the third estate. He wished, by means of provincial assemblies, to accustom the nation to public life, and prepare it for the restoration of the States-General. But the privileged classes whose exemptions were threatened, nobles, courtiers, farmers of the rev- enue, and financiers, united against him. The King forsook him, and Turgot retired in May, 17^6, liaving held office for only twenty months. After his retirement he again devoted himself to literary pursuits and to his favorite scientific studies. His most important work. Reflexions svr }a formation et la distribution des richesses (1766), is one of the chief productions of the physiocratic school. (See Physiocrats.) His complete works were published in nine volumes (Paris. 1808-11), and have since been reprinted. Consult: Condorcet. Vie de Turgot (Paris, 1786) : Stephens, The Life and Writings of Turgot (1805). TURIN (It. Tonno). The capital of the Province of Turin, in Piedmont, Italy, situated on the Po, here navigable near the junction of the Dora Riparia, 76 miles west-southwest of Milan (!Map: Italy, B 2). Turin is an open un- fortified town. It is unique among Italian cities because of its rectangularity of construction — long, straight, in part arcaded streets, rec- tangular blocks of houses or 'islands,' and regu- lar squares. It is well built, and is embellished with numerous squares, statues and monuments, and beautiful parks. Several churches have been constructed since 1870, and also four public ar- cades. * The extensive Piazza Castello, in the north- eastern part of Turin, lined by arcaded streets, is the centre of the city's life. Thence the most important thoroughfares diverge, the fine Via di Po (the Corso of Turin) leading southeast to one of the four bridges over the Po. and traversing the large Piazza Vittorio Emanuele. In the Piazza Castello rises the mediaeval Palazzo Ma- dama, a huge ungainly pile, now occupied by various institutions. Xorthward looms the royal palace, a jdain brick edifice, dating from 1600. Mthin it are located the valual)le royal armory (with many historic relics of interest), a fine col- lection of coins, etc. Adjoining the palace is the ro.yal park. Near it stands the commonplace Gothic cathedral (fifteenth century) containing the fine impressive chapel of the Santissimo Su- dario, treasuring some of the liium reported to have covered the body of the Saviour. The Pa- lazzo Carignano, in tiie Carignano Square to the south, in which met the Sardinian t:haniber of Deputies (1848-591 and the Italian Parliament ( 1860-04), holds natural-history collections. The fine square of San Carlo is situated south of the Castello. The gardens of the Citadella. south- west of the loj'al palace, as well as the gardens of Carlo Felice, to the south, are both attractive. The public park is in the southeastern part of the city, along the left bank of the Po, where arc also located the Botanic Gardens. On the eastern side of the Po rises the wooded .Alonte Dei Cappuccini, 164 feet above the river. A short distance east of the city, on a height ascended by a cable railroad, is "the royal burial church of the House of Savoy — the Siiperga — a splendid edifice affording a fiiie view. The most important monuments are those of Duke Victor Amadeus I., King Charles Albert, Duke Emman- uel Philibert, and the imposing monument of Cavnur. Turin is industrially and commercially pros- perous. It manufactures mainly steel and iron products, silks, lace, velvet, ribbons, cotton and woolen stufTs, jewelry, porcelain, pianos, and furniture. Prominent among the e'xports are wine and silk from Piedmont. The transit trade is heavy. The opening of the Siinplon tunnel prom- ises greatly to favor the city's trade advantages. Educationally Turin is prominent. (For the university, founded in 1405, see Turin. Uxi- VEBsiTY OF.) The valuable National Lil)raiy has some 250,000 volumes and 4200 manu- scripts. Turin has among its numerous educa- tional institutions a royal polytechnic school, an astronomical observatory (in the Palazzo Ma- dania), a royal military school for artillery and engineer officers, a military school and hospital, a Liceo Musicale, an archiepiscopal seminary, an agricultural school, a philharmonic academy, four gymnasia, and an industrial school. In the Palace of the Academy of Sciences are the picture gallery and museums of antiqui- ties and natural history. There are an Italian Industrial Jhiseuni, the civic museum, and the museum of the Risorginiento Italiano. in honor of Victor Emmanuel II. The last is located in the modern !Mole Antonelliana, a curious tower-shaped edifice, having a total height of 538 feet, thus overtopping the Cologne Cathedral. The Royal Albertine Library, in the royal palace, contains 00,000 volumes and 3000 manuscripts. The Municipal Library has about 75.000 volumes. Turin is an important military station, owing to its nearness to the French frontier and to the passes of the Western ,Ips. The budget in 1900 balanced at about .$2,700,000. The" municipal debt amounts to $5,270,000, but is more than offset by the value of the municipal properties. The population in 1901 was 335.656. History. Turin was the chief city of the Ligurian Taurini. It was taken by Hannibal,