The city of Turin (Torino), in northern Italy's Piemonte region, hosted the 2006 Winter Olympics. Coinciding with the summer Olympics n China, Turin is holding a major exhibition spanning 1000 years of Chinese history.

Nearly 200 rare artifacts on loan from top Chinese museums are on display according to Italy Magazine. Highlights of the exhibit, spanning the years 221 BC through 960 AD, are six Terra Cotta warriors and a rare collection of ancient silk and Han Dynasty funeral garments studded with jade.

The Celestial Empire, from the Terracotta Army to the Silk Road - Il Celeste Impero, Dall'Esercito di Terracotta alla Via della Seta - runs through November 26 at Turin's Museum of Antiquities. The museum is on via XX Settembre 88c, by the Palazzo Reale, and can be reached by line 12 or 63 from the train station. It's open 8:30am to 7:30pm Tuesdays - Sundays.

To visit more winter Olympics venues, head toward the mountains west of Turin to Val Chisone (see Piemonte map for Olympic venues). Besides being good for winter sports, the beautiful Val Chisone is a great place for summer hiking where you can escape the heat and tourist crowds and it's a good off-the-beaten-track Italy budget travel destination. Take a look at the Val Chisone with our Val Chisone pictures.

Turin Travel: Turin Visitors Guide | Turin and Piedmont Discount Card | Turin Pictures | Turin Historic Coffee Houses

_{Photo of waterfall near Val Chisone village of Usseaux © 2007 by James Martin, Europe Travel}