Old Turin–Mirafiori Airport
Turin
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
Turin–Mirafiori Airport was built in 1911 and was the city’s first airport, serving both civilian and military purposes.
During World War II, RAF bombings severely damaged the site, and the city’s airport operations were moved elsewhere. Since 1976, the area has been converted into Colonnetti Park, and the former hangar and workshop buildings now house a CNR8 research centre. Some ruins of the original control tower are still visible.
THIS PLACE IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE
The airport played a pioneering role in Italian aviation. In 1911, Turin’s first pilots earned their licenses here.
In 1915, Guglielmo Marconi conducted the first experiments in radio communication with aircraft in flight from this location. In 1929, Italy’s first scheduled air link between Turin and Rome took off from Mirafiori.