Imagine an elegant, magical, and uncrowded Italian city of vast piazzas, arcades, and Art Nouveau-era cafes, with the snow-capped Alps in the background. That’s a pretty good description of the Italian city of Turin in the country’s northwestern corner.

Turin may be the country’s fourth largest metropolis, but it seems oddly forgotten if my recent visit is any indication. For those who love everything Italian, this is good news. It’s not swarming with tourists, like its brethren Venice, Florence, Rome, not to mention Lake Como and the Amalfi Coast.