Turin

Turin, capital of Piedmont and former capital of Italy, was the European Capital of Sport 2015, in a handover to Prague. It won the designation in 2012 by beating Poland's Kraków with a resounding 9-0 in the evaluation committee, which rewarded its history and splendid facilities, a direct legacy of the 2006 Winter Olympic Games. Cradle of the Universiade and a city of champions, Turin staged around 1,200 events throughout the year, with particular attention to grassroots sport and to the synergy between sport and culture: there were special editions of the Salone del Gusto and Terra Madre, and programming linked to the Salone del Libro and the Turin Film Festival. Its bid emphasised the bond between the territory and sport as a tool of social cohesion and health, and the title left a notable economic legacy that consolidated the city as a regular host of major international events.