Piazza Carlo Alberto, situated behind Palazzo Carignano in Turin, is named after the Savoyard King of Sardinia. It stands on the site of the inner gardens of an imposing Baroque building designed by Guarino Guarini whose enclosing walls linked it with the stable buildings behind. The area was reorganized between 1842 and 1859, the outside walls removed allowing for creation of the square.
The 18th century Palazzo Campana, housing the University faculty of Mathematics, stands on the southern end of the square. During the Fascist regime, it was the seat of the provincial federation of the National Fascist Party: Mussolini would appear on the little balcony on the side of the square during official visits. On 26 July 1943 it was the setting for violent clashes. Facing Palazzo Carignano and the equestrian statue of Carlo Alberto is the sumptuous building that today houses the Biblioteca Nazionale of Turin.
A plaque on the building on the corner between the square and via Carlo Alberto, on the Via Po side commemorates the stay, from 1888 to 1889, of Friedrich Nietzsche who roomed on the third floor and wrote The Antichrist, Twilight of the Idols and Ecce Homo here.
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