title: Turin

text: South of the Quadrilatero Romano stands "Via Garibaldi", another popular street of the city. It is a pedestrian street between Piazza Castello and "Piazza Statuto" which features some of the old shops of the city. Large "Piazza Statuto" is another example of Baroque square with arcades.


title: Turin

text: Another main street of downtown is "Via Pietro Micca", which starts in Piazza Castello and ends in the large "Piazza Solferino". The street continues in "Via Cernaia" up to "Piazza XXV Dicembre", which features the former Porta Susa passengers building, relocated in 2012 a little more southward. The new and larger passengers building is situated between "Corso Bolzano" and "Corso Inghilterra" and is an example of contemporary architecture, being a and glass and steel structure. Porta Susa is currently the international central station of the city (high speed trains to Paris) and it is becoming the central hub of railway transportation of the city, being the station in which local trains (so-called "Ferrovie Metropolitane"), national trains and high-speed national and international trains converge.


title: Turin

text: Close to Via Cernaia stands the "Cittadella" (Citadel), in the "Andrea Guglielminetti garden". What remains of the old medieval and modern fortress of the city, it is a starting point for a tour into the old tunnels below the city.


title: Turin

text: Southeast of the city centre stands "San Salvario" district, which extends from "Corso Vittorio Emanuele II" to "Corso Bramante" and is delimited by the Turin-Genoa railway on the west side and by the Po river on the east side. Home to an increasing immigrants' community, the district is an example of integration among different cultures; it also features an incremented nightlife after the opening of several low-cost bars and restaurants.


title: Turin

text: San Salvario is crossed by two main roads, "Via Nizza" and "Via Madama Cristina", and just as the city centre it is characterised by the grid plan typical of Turin's old neighbourhoods. The hub of the district is "Piazza Madama Cristina" which hosts a big open market, while several commercial activities flourish around it.


title: Turin

text: The celebrated Parco del Valentino is situated in the east side of San Salvario and, albeit not in downtown, it represents kind of central park of Turin. Thanks to the vicinity to the city centre, the park is very popular among the local people, during the day but also at night, because of the several bars and nightclubs placed here. From the terraces of Parco del Valentino, many sights of the hills on the other side of the river can be appreciated.


title: Turin

text: In the centre of the park stands the Castello del Valentino, built in the 17th century. This castle has a horseshoe shape, with four rectangular towers, one at each angle, and a wide inner court with a marble pavement. The ceilings of the false upper floors are in "transalpino" (i.e. French) style. The façade sports the huge coat of arms of the House of Savoy. Today, Castello del Valentino serves as the faculty of Architecture of the "Polytechnic University of Turin".


title: Turin

text: Another cluster of buildings in the park is the "Borgo Medioevale" (Medieval village), a replica of medieval mountain castles of Piedmont and Aosta Valley, built for the 1884 International Exhibition.


title: Turin

text: Other buildings in "Corso Massimo d'Azeglio" include the Torino Esposizioni complex (Turin's exhibition hall built in the 1930s) featuring a monumental entrance with a large full height porch, a main hall designed by Pier Luigi Nervi in reinforced concrete, and the "Teatro Nuovo", a theatre mostly focused on ballet exhibitions. Another building is the largest synagogue of the city, in "Piazzetta Primo Levi", a square. Its architecture stands in the main sight of the city, as characterised by four large towers – high – topped by four onion-shaped domes.


title: Turin

text: South of "Centro" stands the "Crocetta" district, considered one of the most exclusive districts of the city, because of highly rated residential buildings. At the heart of the district is the partially pedestrianised area crossed by "Corso Trieste", "Corso Trento" and "Corso Duca D'Aosta", plenty of some notable residential buildings in eclectic, neo-Gothic and Art Nouveau style. The area was built between 1903 and 1937 replacing the old parade ground, which was moved in the Southern part of the city.


title: Turin

text: North of this area stands the "GAM (Galleria d'Arte Moderna)", one of the two Museum of Modern Arts of the Turin Metro area (the second and largest one is hosted in "Castello di Rivoli", a former Savoy Royal castle in the suburbs). The Museum stands in front a huge monument situated in the centre of the roundabout between "Corso Vittorio Emanuele II" and "Corso Galileo Ferraris": the Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II, a King of Savoy statue situated on a 39-meters high column. Next to the Museum, another significant residential building previously hosted the head office of Juventus, one of the two main Turin football clubs.


title: Turin

text: West of this area, the main building of Polytechnic University of Turin stands along "Corso Duca Degli Abruzzi". The 1958 building, a complex, hosts approximately 30,000 students and is considered one of the major Institutes of Technology of the country – mainly due to the vocation of the city for the industrialisation, pushed by the automotive sector. This institute recently expanded in the western district of "Cenisia" with additional modern buildings.


title: Turin

text: Crocetta is crossed by large and modern avenues, such as "Corso Duca degli Abruzzi", "Corso Galileo Ferraris", and "Corso Einaudi". These avenues feature long rows of trees, symbolic of Turin's typical urbanity. However, the most popular avenue is "Corso De Gasperi", which, albeit smaller than other avenues of the district, hosts one of the most fashionable open markets of the city, the so-called "Mercato della Crocetta", in which it is possible to find some discounted branded clothing among the more popular ones.


title: Turin

text: The Western border of Crocetta is instead an example of contemporary architecture. The huge avenue, made up of "Corso Mediterraneo" and "Corso Castelfidardo", is part of "Spina Centrale" boulevard and was recently built over the old railway (now undergrounded): as a result, the avenue is very large (up to ) and modern, having been rebuilt with valuable materials, including a characteristic lighting system supported by white high poles. This avenue hosts some examples of contemporary art, such as Mario Merz's "Igloo" fountain or the Per Kirkeby's "Opera per Torino" monument in "Largo Orbassano".


title: Turin

text: The East side of the district is also known as "Borgo San Secondo" named after the church of the same name standing in "Via San Secondo", a major street in the neighbourhood. This is near "Porta Nuova" railway station and is older than the rest of the district, featuring several apartment buildings from the late 19th century, to include the birthplace and home of author Primo Levi on Corso Re Umberto. A local open market is held in "Piazza San Secondo" and along "Via Legnano". The market square also hosts the former washhouse and public baths of the neighbourhood, among the oldest examples of their kind in Turin (1905).


title: Turin

text: One of the main thoroughfares crossing Borgo San Secondo is "Via Sacchi", which serves as an ideal gate to the city centre: its Serlian arcades on the west side of the street (the east side is enclosed by "Porta Nuova" railway station service buildings) host some significant boutiques and hotels, such as the historic "Pfatisch" pastry shop and the "Turin Palace Hotel" (totally refurbished and reopened in 2015). South of "Via Sacchi", "Ospedale Mauriziano" is one of the ancient and major hospitals of the city. Going further southwards, it is possible to appreciate an interesting residential cluster of old public housing gravitating around "Via Arquata".


title: Turin

text: Bordered by "Corso Castelfidardo", "Corso Vittorio Emanuele II", "Corso Trapani" and "Corso Peschiera", this small district is mainly significant for hosting the recent expansion of Turinese Institute of Technology "Politecnico". The expansion was possible after under-grounding the railway under "Corso Castelfidardo" and the subsequent disposal of the old buildings dedicated to the train maintenance present in this area (so-called "Officine Grandi Riparazioni" or "OGR"). "Politecnico" expanded its facilities through two huge overpass buildings over the avenue, linked to new buildings on the west side. This cluster of buildings forms an evocative square with a unique architectural style. The main building on the west side hosts a General Motors research centre, the "General Motors Global Propulsion Systems" (formerly known as "General Motors Powertrain Europe"). "Politecnico" area extends until "Via Boggio" with further facilities hosted in the former "OGR" facilities. The Institute plans to further build new facilities in the current parking area.


title: Turin

text: North of "Politecnico" facilities, the main building of the "OGR" former cluster, which consists in three 180-meters long joint parallel buildings, became recently a big open space which hosts temporary exhibitions and during the hot seasons, its external spaces became a fashionable site to have a typical Italian "aperitivo".


title: Turin

text: North of "OGR", a former prison complex called "Le Nuove" is a significant example of old European prison building. The complex was built between 1857 and 1869 during the reign of Victor Emmanuel II. After being disposed of during the 1990s, the complex was changed into a museum and it is possible to visit its facilities.


title: Turin

text: An example of contemporary art is the heating plant in "Corso Ferrucci", which has been covered with aluminium panels. Another building (19th century), now abandoned, is the former Westinghouse factory of train brakes situated in "Via Borsellino".


title: Turin

text: The residential and business zone of the district sprawls westward, beyond the former - now demolished - customs wall ("cinta daziaria"), which previously separated the city from the mainly rural landscape that marked the outskirts of Turin until the late 19th century. Urban planning outside the local city gate (so-called "barriera di San Paolo") led to the construction of an industrial and working class neighborhood in the early 20th century, although factories have long been discontinued, torn down or converted to other uses nowadays. Together with "San Paolo" district, "Cenisia" hosts an extensive street market along "Corso Racconigi", which is locally known as the longest street market in Europe.


title: Turin

text: The smallest district of the city is "Cit Turin" ("Little Turin" in Piedmontese language). This small triangle surrounded by "Corso Vittorio Emanuele II", "Corso Francia" and "Corso Inghilterra" hosts some high rated residential buildings and is regarded as a prestigious residential neighbourhood by local people.


title: Turin

text: The district features many buildings in Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Neo-Gothic style. Among them, one of the most impressive and well known is the "Casa della Vittoria" (architect "Gottardo Gussoni"). Another notable example is Casa Fenoglio-Lafleur. Both buildings face Corso Francia.


title: Turin

text: The district is well known for its commercial vocation mainly in its two main streets, "Via Duchessa Jolanda" and "Via Principi d'Acaja", ideally crossing each other among the gardens "Giardino Luigi Martini", locally called "Piazza Benefica", which hosts a popular open market.


title: Turin

text: The district is also characterised by two massive recent buildings: the "Palazzo di Giustizia", Turin's new courthouse built in the 1990s (in a 350-metre long facility), and the first real skyscraper of Turin, the Torre Intesa Sanpaolo, which house the headquarters of one of the major Italian private banks.


title: Turin

text: "San Donato" district is between "Corso Francia", "Corso Lecce", "Corso Potenza", "Via Nole", the "Parco Dora" and "Corso Principe Oddone". It was populated since the medieval era, but becomes bigger during the 19th century, prospering around the canal "Canale di San Donato", which does not exist any more, currently replaced by the central street of the district, "Via San Donato". Buildings in the district are relatively recent (around 1820), except for the oldest group of small houses in the "Brusachœr" neighbourhood ("Palazzo Forneris" building) along "Via Pacinotti" near the small "Piazza Paravia". The conservation of the street and of this old building influences the straightness of "Via San Donato", which makes a slight curve to result in parallel with "Via Pacinotti" before ending in central "Piazza Statuto" square.


title: Turin

text: Main church of the district is the "Chiesa di Nostra Signora del Suffragio e Santa Zita", which with its height of its bell tower, is well known to be the fifth tallest structure in the city of Turin, after the Mole Antonelliana, the Intesa-Sanpaolo skyscraper, the Torre Littoria and the two pennons of the Juventus Stadium. The church is hosting the "Istituto Suore Minime di Nostra Signora del Suffragio" and it was promoted and designed by Francesco Faà di Bruno. The legend says, that he wanted to build the tallest bell tower of the town and put a clock on the top, to all the poor people to know the time for free. The small building near the church is what remains of "Casa Tartaglino", a small residential building which was also extended and modified by Faa di Bruno.


title: Turin

text: "Villino Cibrario" in "Via Saccarelli" is another significant building designed by Barnaba Panizza in 1842. The building was equipped with a large garden which was eliminated to host the street. The neighbourhood has a high concentration of historic buildings in Art Nouveau style designed by architect Pietro Fenoglio (among the others, the prestigious "Villino Raby" in Corso Francia 8). Other significant buildings are the "Villa Boringhieri" in Via San Donato, and other Art Nouveau and Neo-Gothic buildings are situated in "Via Piffetti" and "Via Durandi".


title: Turin

text: Among the modern buildings of the district, the most significant one is, of course, the "Torre BBPR" Tower (which took the name from the architecture office who designed it). The building is representing the "post-rationalism Italian architecture" (same style of the better known Torre Velasca tower in the city of Milan). The tower is facing the central "Piazza Statuto" square.


title: Turin

text: The district is crossed by some significant avenues: on "Corso Svizzera", which crosses the district from North To South, faces the Business Centre "Piero Della Francesca", where the offices of "Tuttosport", one of the three national sports daily newspapers has its head offices. Also on "Corso Svizzera", stands one of the oldest hospitals of the city, the "Ospedale Amedeo di Savoia", specialised in infectious diseases. Other major avenues are "Corso Umbria" and "Corso Tassoni".


title: Turin

text: Another big avenue, which borders the district on its East, is "Corso Principe Oddone", which in the past was along the railway to Milan. Currently the railway has been under-grounded: the avenue will be enlarged and have same architecture style of southern "Corso Inghilterra" in downtown, becoming one of the major avenue of Turin. The northern part of the district was part of the former industrial district of Turin, recently reconverted to a park called "Parco Dora". Mainly, in "San Donato" the portion reconverted was the one occupied by the plant of Michelin (west of "Via Livorno") and FIAT ironwork plants (on the East). Differently for other portions of "Parco Dora", this part has been totally reconverted to park without letting any evidence of the industrial area except for the cooling tower which stands along "Corso Umbria" and became a symbol of the park. Works are completed in the western area, where "Corso Mortara" has been closed to traffic and moved just a bit northern and covered by an artificial tunnel. It is possible to access the southern shore of the "Dora" river. South of the Park, an interesting architecture of different levels is hosting a new shopping mall called "Centro Commerciale Parco Dora". East of "Via Livorno", works are still partially in progress, with the Dora river still to be uncovered by a big slab, on which the FIAT plants used to stand). West of "Via Livorno", the "Environment Park" is a research centre for renewable energy.


title: Turin

text: "Aurora" is one of the most ancient districts which developed out of the medieval city walls, north of the historical city centre. It stretches from downtown northern boundaries in "Corso Regina Margherita" (an extended and important thoroughfare of Turin) up to "Corso Vigevano" and "Corso Novara" in the North Side (namely the old excise boundary until the early 20th century); the western boundary is "Corso Principe Oddone" (now part of the "Spina Centrale" boulevard) and the eastern border is the Dora river.


title: Turin

text: The district was named Aurora after the so-called "Cascina Aurora", an old farmstead lying north of the Dora river, right at the intersection between "Corso Giulio Cesare" and "Corso Emilia". The farmstead has long been demolished and the area has been converted to office buildings, hosting the Turinese textile company "Gruppo Finanziario Tessile" ("GFT") headquarters until the early 21st century.


title: Turin

text: The historical hub of the district is "Borgo Dora" (The "Dora Borough"), a small neighbourhood next to "Porta Palazzo" and enclosed by "Corso Regina Margherita", "Via Cigna", the Dora river and "Corso Giulio Cesare". Once known as "Borgo del Pallone" (literally "Ball Borough") or "Balon" in Piedmontese dialect (), this neighbourhood is famous for its "mercatino del Balon" or simply "Balon", the Turinese flea market that opens every Saturday in its tiny and twisted streets. Borgo Dora hosts several remarkable places, such as: "Piccola Casa della Divina Provvidenza" ("Little House of the Divine Providence"), also known as "Cottolengo", a well-known charitable organization which has been operating for almost 200 years in the city; "Arsenale della Pace" ("Arsenal of Peace"), a former weapons factory that currently hosts the headquarters of "SERMIG" ("Servizio Missionario Giovani"), a nonprofit association which assists poor and homeless people; "Caserma Cavalli" ("Cavalli Barracks"), one of the most representative buildings of the district, a former barracks topped by a clock tower which now hosts "Scuola Holden", a storytelling and performing arts school; the evocative "Cortile del Maglio" ("Mallet Courtyard"), a covered pedestrian area featuring bars and clubs. Across from Cortile del Maglio and Arsenale della Pace stands a wide pedestrian area which features a hot air balloon, a clear allusion to the neighbourhood's old name "Balon": recently installed, the balloon is open to public which can now take an interesting view of the city from this new high observation point.


title: Turin

text: Right at the borders of Borgo Dora stands part of "Porta Palazzo" open market which hosts the New Exhibition Hall, designed by the Italian architect Massimiliano Fuksas. The building has replaced the "Clothes Market", one of the four covered pavilions of Porta Palazzo market, but unfortunately, this glass green-shaded building has been highly criticized because of its lack of usability for commercial activities, albeit an example of contemporary architecture.


title: Turin

text: Another interesting building at the borders of the neighbourhood is Porta Milano (a.k.a. "stazione della Ciriè-Lanzo"), a former 19th-century railway station that marked the terminus of Ciriè-Lanzo railway line until the 1980s. To this day, the station is no longer in use as well as the rails up to "Piazza Baldissera". The station building was recently renovated and now hosts some old locomotives, even though it is not open to the public. Unfortunately, the old rails crossing the district are totally disused and neglected, adding decay to the whole area.


title: Turin

text: Borgo Dora, as many other pockets of Aurora, is characterized by the marked multi-ethnicity of its population, being home to a large community of immigrants from emerging countries.


title: Turin

text: West of Borgo Dora stands "Rione Valdocco" ("Valdocco neighbourhood"), enclosed by "Via Cigna", "Corso Regina Margherita", "Corso Principe Oddone" and the Dora river. This neighbourhood hosts the significant architecture of "Santuario di Maria Ausiliatrice" ("Maria Ausiliatrice Sanctuary") in the homonymous square and behind the church stands "San Pietro in Vincoli" old cemetery.


title: Turin

text: Overall, the main thoroughfares of the West side of Aurora are "Via Cigna", which crosses the district from North to South, "Corso Vercelli", a historical avenue starting north of the Dora river, and "Corso Principe Oddone", part of the long "Spina Centrale" boulevard that will be built over the underground Turin-Milan railway. However, the Spina Centrale project is proceeding slowly because of the lack of funds and the boulevard is still occupied by a large worksite along its span. Once completed, Aurora district will be connected to Eastern "San Donato", thanks to a better connection among the roads of the two adjacent districts (i.e. "Corso Ciriè" will continue in "Corso Gamba" and "Strada del Fortino" in "Corso Rosai").


title: Turin

text: As for the rest of Aurora, the district is crossed by an important thoroughfare named "Corso Giulio Cesare", a long boulevard that extends from Porta Palazzo up to Turin-Trieste motorway entrance in the Northern urban fringe of Turin. Other significant roads are "Corso Palermo", "Via Bologna" and "Corso Regio Parco", mostly in the East side of Aurora which is known as "Borgo Rossini" ("Rossini Borough"). Albeit not a road, the Dora river is also a significant element for the whole district, since it completely crosses it from West to East.


title: Turin

text: The area north of the river features a mix of old residential buildings and remains of former factories and facilities from the 20th century. An example are the remains of FIAT "Officine Grandi Motori" ("OGM") in Corso Vigevano, an old factory that produced big industrial and automotive Diesel engines, a sort of symbol of the industrial history of Turin. Another disused facility is "Astanteria Martini" ("Martini Emergency Department") in Via Cigna, a former emergency department from the 1920s which has been lying vacant since long.


title: Turin

text: As for the old residential buildings of the area, this part of Aurora hosts the oldest public housing block of the city, built by "Istituto Autonomo Case Popolari" ("IACP") in 1908 in lieu of an old dilapidated small farm once known as "Chiabotto delle Merle".


title: Turin

text: Despite its run-down look, the famous Lavazza coffee company, along with "IAAD" School of Design, chose this part of the city as the location for their new headquarters, which will be built in a contemporary building dubbed "Nuvola" ("Cloud") right at the borders of "Borgo Rossini". Designed by the architect Gino Zucchi, this project is still a work in progress but excavations in the area revealed the remains of a medieval cemetery and an early Christian basilica; these findings will be preserved and will be shown to the public.


title: Turin

text: "Borgo Rossini" hosts a number of businesses, for instance, the "Robe di Kappa" flagship store (Kappa is a noted Italian sportswear brand founded in Turin) and the "Cineporto" ("Cineport") a.k.a. "La Casa dei Produttori" ("The Filmmakers' House", which hosts the "Turin Piedmont Film Commission Foundation").


title: Turin

text: "Vanchiglia" is bordered by "Corso San Maurizio", "Corso Regio Parco" and the Po river, crossed also by the Dora Riparia river and by two big avenues, "Corso Regina Margherita" and "Corso Tortona".


title: Turin

text: "Borgo Vanchiglia" is the historical district: a little triangle next to downtown, situated between "Corso San Maurizio, Corso Regina Margherita" and the Po river. The district is quite popular nowadays because being quite closer to the heart of Turin nightlife "Piazza Vittorio Veneto", many bars and restaurants opened recently in this area. However, Vanchiglia also includes the area called "Vanchiglietta", north of "Borgo Vanchiglia".


title: Turin

text: Notable church in "Borgo Vanchiglia" is the French neo-Gothic "Chiesa di Santa Giulia" situated into "Piazza Santa Giulia".


title: Turin

text: A notable and unusual building in the area is the so-called ""Fetta di Polenta"" (literally: "polenta slice"), formerly known as "Casa Scaccabarozzi". This building is where "Corso San Maurizio" meets "Via Giulia di Barolo", and it is one of the most peculiar examples of Turin architecture: a thin trapezoid 27 meters wide on "Via Giulia Di Barolo", 5 meters on "Corso San Maurizio" and just 0.70 meters wide on the opposite end. It was designed in 1840 by Alessandro Antonelli for his wife, Francesca Scaccabarozzi, probably because of a bet. The curious name comes from the shape of the palace, which resembles a "slice of polenta", and also because it is painted with an ocher colour.


title: Turin

text: In the surroundings, in "Via Vanchiglia 8", (although in downtown and not really in "Vanchiglia" anymore) there is another trapezoid house, albeit with less extreme design: similarly, this building is nicknamed ""Fetta di Formaggio"" (cheese slice), built in 1832 for the rich "Marchese Birago di Vische" by the architect "Antonio Talentino".


title: Turin

text: Other notable buildings are the town public baths, eclectic building built in 1905 ("Corso Regina Margherita" crossing "Via Vanchiglia"), and the"Teatro della Caduta" theatre, opened in 2003 in "Via Michele Buniva 23", which with its 45 seats is the smallest theatre in Turin and among the smallest theatres in Europe.


title: Turin

text: In Corso Regina Margherita, another notable building is the former "Opera pia Reynero", a charitable organization. The building was built in 1892. Being abandoned for a long time after it closed in 1996, it was then occupied by the Askatasuna Social Center, a non-profit anarchic organization, hosting since then various activities such as concerts, dinners, seminars and homeless solidarity initiatives.


title: Turin

text: North of "Corso Regina Margherita", district is losing the flavour and architecture typical of Turin downtown, cause a significant portion of the district was formerly occupied by factories, nowadays partially abandoned or replaced by modern buildings. A significant example was the area occupied by gas companies between Corso Regina Margherita and the Dora river, which were partially demolished to make place to the new modern Faculty of Law building (Campus "Luigi Einaudi"), designed by the architect Norman Foster. This building was classified by the American television company CNN among the 10 most spectacular university buildings in the world. In the campus courtyard, a large wood statue representing a bull (symbol of Turin) has been erected by Mario Ceroli. The area hosts also a student campus.


title: Turin

text: Next to the campus, a new cycling and pedestrian bridge on the Dora river was opened on 16 April 2010, linking the campus area to "Corso Verona". "Parco Colletta" is a big park area touched by the two rivers of the district, which also hosts some sport facilities, mainly football fields and a swimming pool.


title: Turin

text: The district is completed by the "" cemetery. This huge complex (formerly known as "Cimitero Generale") is the largest cemetery in Turin, and among the first in Italy for the number of buried people (over 400,000). It is close to the "Colletta" park. The ancient part of the cemetery rises from the main entrance of Corso Novara with his octagonal shape. It contains numerous historical tombs and 12  km of arcades, enriched by artistic sculptures (that's why it is called a "monumental cemetery"). Over the years there have been subsequent extensions of the central historical body in the direction of the Colletta park. In the cemetery, there is a crematory temple built in 1882, one of the largest in Italy.


title: Turin

text: The Santuario della Consolata, a sanctuary much frequented by pilgrims, stands on the site of the tenth-century Monastery of St. Andrew, and is a work by Guarini. It was sumptuously restored in 1903. Outside the city are: the Basilica of Our Lady, Help of Christians built by St. John Bosco, the Gran Madre built in 1818 on occasion of the return of King Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia and Santa Maria del Monte (1583) on Monte dei Cappuccini.


title: Turin

text: In the hills overlooking the city, the Basilica of Superga provides a view of Turin against a backdrop of the snow-capped Alps. The basilica holds the tombs of many of the dukes of Savoy, as well as many of the kings of Sardinia. Superga can be reached by means of the Superga Rack Railway from Sassi suburb. The Basilica of Superga was built by Amadeus II of Savoy as an ex-voto for the liberation of Turin (1706), and served as a royal mausoleum since 1772.


title: Turin

text: The most popular park in the city is Parco del Valentino. In 1961, during the celebrations of "Italia61" (Italian unification centenary), an important international exhibition ("FLOR61: Flowers of the world in Turin") took place in the park with 800 exhibitors from 19 countries. For the occasion the plan for the new lighting of the park, along with its fountains and paths, was assigned to Guido Chiarelli, the head engineer at the city hall.


title: Turin

text: Other large parks are "Parco della Pellerina", "Parco Colletta", "Parco Rignon", "Parco Colonnetti" and the University botanical gardens. Around the city are several other parks such as La Mandria Regional Park and the Parco della Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi, once hunting grounds of the Savoy, and those on the hills of Turin. Many parks are smaller, in the various districts: there is also a total of 240 playgrounds in these parks. In the early 1960s, mayor Amedeo Peyron had the first garden in Italy with games for children inaugurated. According to a Legambiente report from 2007, Turin is the first Italian city as far as structures and policies on childcare are concerned. One of the most famous parks featuring a children's playground is "Parco della Tesoriera", which is also home to "Andrea della Corte Municipal Music Library"; this facility is housed in Villa Tesoriera, built in 1715 and once the Royal Treasurer's residence. The park is in the Parella suburb (Turin's West Side) and hosts many concerts in summer.


title: Turin

text: Rosa Vercellana, commonly known as "Rosina" and, in Piedmontese as "La Bela Rosin" ("the beautiful Rosin"), was the mistress and later wife of King Victor Emmanuel II. She was made Countess of Mirafiori and Fontanafredda, but never Queen of Italy. As the Savoy family refused to allow her to be buried next to her husband in the Pantheon, her children had a mausoleum built for her in a similar form and on a smaller scale in Turin, next to the road to the Castello di Mirafiori. The circular copper-domed neoclassical monument, surmounted by a Latin cross and surrounded by a large park, was designed by Angelo Dimezzi and completed in 1888.


title: Turin

text: In 2009, the city proper had a population of about 910,000, which is a significant increase on the 2001 census figure. This result is due to a growing immigration from Southern Italy and abroad. Approximately 13.5 per cent (122.946) of the population is composed of foreigners, the largest numbers coming from Romania (51,017), Morocco (22,511), Albania (9,165), China (5,483), and Moldova (3,417). Like many Northern Italian cities, there is a large proportion of pensioners in comparison to youth. Around 18 per cent of the population is under 20 years of age, while 22 per cent is over 65. The population of the Turin urban area totals 1.7 million inhabitants, ranking fourth in Italy, while the Turin metropolitan area has a population of 2.2 million inhabitants. The median age is 43.7.


title: Turin

text: Turin developed as a Fordist city in the early twentieth century, which meant a shift from a service-based economy to an industry-based one. In the vein of many Fordist economies Turin's economy relies heavily upon its automotive and aerospace industries. Despite the general decline of the automotive industry since the oil crisis of 1973, the city still relies heavily upon its automotive industry. Since before the second world war, the automotive industry has been the largest employer in the city, and almost all exports from Turin are manufactured goods. The city serves as the headquarters to Fiat ("Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino"; Turin Italian Automobiles Factory), which has since been absorbed by its parent company, the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles group (now Stellantis) headquartered in Amsterdam, the eighth largest automotive company in the world. Turin is still home to a sizeable Fiat factory.


title: Turin

text: From the 1980s Turin diversified its economy and is shifting back towards a service economy. Tech and innovation industries are booming in Turin, which was ranked third in number of innovative startups and firms in the information-tech sector, and has some of the most patent applications to the European Patent Office of any city. In 2008 the city generated a GDP of $68 billion, ranking as the world's 78th richest city by purchasing power, and 16th in Europe, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers. Turin accounts for 8 percent of Italy's GDP. The city has been ranked in 2010 by Globalization and World Cities Research Network as a Gamma-level city.


title: Turin

text: Other companies operating in Turin are Maserati, Lancia, Alfa Romeo, Iveco, Pininfarina, Bertone, Sparco, Italdesign Giugiaro, New Holland, Comau, Magneti Marelli, Graziano Oerlikon, Ghia, Fioravanti (automotive), Rai (national broadcasting company), Banca Investis, FCA Bank, Intesa Sanpaolo, Reale Mutua (finance), Invicta, Kappa, Superga (fashion), Ferrero, Lavazza, Martini & Rossi (food & beverage), Alpitour (hospitality and tourism), TILab (ex-CSELT), and Aurora (pen manufacturer).


title: Turin

text: The city is also well known for its aerospace industry Alenia Aeronautica, Thales Alenia Space and Avio. The International Space Station modules Harmony, Columbus, Tranquility, as well as the Cupola and all MPLMs were produced in Turin. The future European launcher projects beyond Ariane 5 will also be managed from Turin by the new NGL company, a subsidiary of EADS (70%) and Aircraft Division of Leonardo (30%).


title: Turin

text: Turin, as the former capital of the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Kingdom of Italy, is home of the Savoy Residences. In addition to the 17th-century Royal Palace, built for Madama Reale Christine Marie of France (the official residence of the Savoys until 1865) there are many palaces, residences and castles in the city centre and in the surrounding towns. Turin is home to Palazzo Chiablese, the Royal Armoury, the Royal Library, Palazzo Madama, Palazzo Carignano, Villa della Regina, and the Valentino Castle. The complex of the Residences of the Royal House of Savoy in Turin and in the nearby cities of Rivoli, Moncalieri, Venaria Reale, Agliè, Racconigi, Stupinigi, Pollenzo and Govone was declared a World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in 1997. In recent years, Turin has become an increasingly popular tourist destination, ranking 203rd in the world and tenth in Italy in 2008, with about 240,000 tourist arrivals.


title: Turin

text: The Egyptian Museum of Turin specialises in archaeology and anthropology, in particular the Art of Ancient Egypt. It is home to what is regarded as one of the largest collections of Egyptian antiquities outside of Egypt. In 2006 it received more than 500,000 visitors. The Museum of Oriental Art houses one of the most important Asian art collections in Italy.


title: Turin

text: Other museums include the National Museum of Cinema, the Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile, the J-Museum, the Museum of Human Anatomy Luigi Rolando, the Museo delle Marionette (puppet museum) and the Museo Nazionale della Montagna (National Museum of the Mountains). Art museums include the Sabauda Gallery, the Museo Civico d'Arte Antica, Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli, the Accademia Albertina, and the Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art.


title: Turin

text: After it had been little more than a town for a long time, in 1559 the Duke Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy made Turin the capital of his domains. The Duke had the ambition to transform the city into a major artistic and cultural capital, and in the following centuries numerous artists were to work at the Savoy court, especially architects and planners like Carlo di Castellamonte and his son Amedeo, Guarino Guarini and, in the 18th century, Filippo Juvarra and Benedetto Alfieri.


title: Turin

text: As for the painting and the visual arts, Turin became a point of reference, especially in the 20th century. In the 1920s, the painter Felice Casorati inspired a number of students called The group of six of Turin and these included Carlo Levi, Henry Paolucci, Gigi Chessa, Francis Menzio, Nicola Galante and Jessie Boswell. Artists born in Turin include the sculptor Umberto Mastroianni and the architect Carlo Mollino. Between the 1960s and the 1970s, the international centre of Turin (Arte Povera), the presence in the city of artists like Alighiero Boetti, Mario Merz, Giuseppe Penone, Piero Gilardi and Michelangelo Pistoletto. In those years there was a strong artistic influence of designer Armando Testa. Artists currently operating in the city include Ugo Nespolo and Carol Rama.


title: Turin

text: The city's main opera house is Teatro Regio di Torino, where Puccini premiered his "La Bohème" in 1896. It was burned down in 1936 and was rebuilt after World War II.


title: Turin

text: On 8 October 2021, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and RAI announced that the city would host the Eurovision Song Contest 2022, following Italy's victory at the contest in Rotterdam, Netherlands with the song “Zitti e buoni”, performed by Måneskin. The contest took place at the Pala Alpitour, with both semi-finals of the contest took place on 10 and 12 May, and the grand final on 14 May. It was the first time that Turin has hosted the contest and the third time that Italy has hosted the contest overall, with the last being in Rome in .


title: Turin

text: A literary centre for many centuries, Turin began to attract writers only after the establishment of the court of the Dukes of Savoy. One of the most famous writers of the 17th century was Giambattista Marino, which in 1608 moved to the court of Charles Emmanuel I. Marino suffered an assassination attempt by a rival, Gaspare Murtola, and was later imprisoned for a year because of gossip that he had said and written against the duke. Perhaps, because of this, in 1615 Marino left Turin and moved to France.


title: Turin

text: The main literary figures during the Baroque age in Turin were Emanuele Tesauro and Alessandro Tassoni. In the next century Torino hosted the poet Vittorio Alfieri from Asti for a while. The situation was very different in the 19th century, especially since the city became a point of reference for Italian unification and, subsequently, the capital of the Kingdom of Italy. Indeed, in those years Tommaseo, Settembrini and John Meadows resided in the city. A major literary and cultural woman of that time was Olimpia Savio. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Turin was home to writers such as Guido Gozzano, Edmondo De Amicis, Emilio Salgari and Dino Segre, the latter known by the pseudonym of Pitigrilli.


title: Turin

text: Turin had a very important role in Italian literature after World War II. A major publishing house, Giulio Einaudi, published works by authors such as Cesare Pavese, Italo Calvino, Vitaliano Brancati, Primo Levi, Natalia Ginzburg, Fernanda Pivano, Beppe Fenoglio, Carlo Fruttero and Franco Lucentini. In more recent years, writers active in the city are Giovanni Arpino, Nico Orengo, Giuseppe Culicchia, Margherita Oggero, Laura Mancinelli, Alessandra Montrucchio, Alessandro Perissinotto, Guido Quartz, Piero Soria and Alessandro Baricco. Baricco was also among the founders of the Scuola Holden, dedicated to writing techniques teaching.


title: Turin

text: In the local Piedmontese language has a literary tradition, with names such as Nicoletto da Torino, Ignas Isler, author of epic poems, and Eduard Calv.


title: Turin

text: The city is home to the well-known Shroud of Turin: a linen cloth bearing the image of a man who appears to have suffered physical trauma in a manner consistent with crucifixion. It is kept in the royal chapel of the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in the city centre. The shroud is one of the city's main symbols and tourist attractions, it is a symbol of religious devotion.


title: Turin

text: Turin had an Astronomical observatory where was active Giovanni Plana. The scientist Amedeo Avogadro worked as a professor in Turin. The professor of Turin University Galileo Ferraris discovered the principle under electric motor during the 19 century.


title: Turin

text: After Alexandria, Madrid, New Delhi, Antwerp and Montreal, Turin was chosen by UNESCO as World Book Capital for the year 2006. The International Book Fair is one of the most important fairs of its kind in Europe.


title: Turin

text: Turin is home to one of Italy's principal national newspapers, "La Stampa", and the sports daily newspaper "Tuttosport".


title: Turin

text: The city is also served by other publications such as the Turin editions of "La Repubblica", "il Giornale", "Leggo", "City", "Metro" and "E Polis".


title: Turin

text: The city has a rich sporting heritage as the home to two historically significant football teams: Juventus F.C. (founded in 1897) and Torino F.C. (founded in 1906). Juventus has the larger fan base, especially all over Italy and worldwide, while Torino enjoys a greater support in the city itself. The two clubs contest the oldest derby in Italy, the "Derby della Mole" or the Turin derby.


title: Turin

text: Juventus is Italy's most successful football club and one of the most winning in the world. It ranks joint twelfth in the list of the world's clubs with the most official international titles (sixth between European clubs). and was the first in association football history — remaining the only one in the world (, after the first UEFA Europa Conference League Final) — to have won all possible official continental competitions and the world title. Juventus' owned ground, the Juventus Stadium, was inaugurated in 2011.


title: Turin

text: The Juventus Stadium hosted the 2014 UEFA Europa League Final. This was the first time the city hosted a seasonal UEFA club competition's single-match final.


title: Turin

text: Torino F.C. was founded by the union of one of the oldest football teams in Turin, Football Club Torinese (founded in 1894), with breakaways from Juventus and was the most successful team, called "Grande Torino", in the Serie A during the 1940s. In 1949, in the Superga air disaster, a plane carrying almost the whole team crashed into the Basilica of Superga in the Turin hills.


title: Turin

text: Torino currently plays its home games at the Stadio Olimpico "Grande Torino", named after the team of the 1940s, which was the host stadiums for the 1934 FIFA World Cup and the venue of the XX Winter Olympics; moreover the team recently rebuilt the historic Stadio Filadelfia, used for games of the youth teams and trainings of the first squad, and seat of the team museum.


title: Turin

text: The city hosted the final stages of the EuroBasket 1979. The most important basketball club team is the Auxilium Torino, refounded in 2009, playing in the Italian LBA. In 2018 Auxilium Torino went to win its first Italian Basketball Cup ever.


title: Turin

text: Turin hosted the 2006 Winter Olympics in February 2006. Turin is the largest city to have ever hosted a Winter Olympics, and was the largest metropolitan area to host them at the time.


title: Turin

text: The city was awarded with the title of European Capital of Sport 2015. The candidature sees the city strongly committed to increasing sports activities.


title: Turin

text: Turin is the Italian city where film chromatography was first established. As such, it forms the birthplace of Italian cinema. Because of its historic, geographical and cultural proximity to France, Italian filmmakers were naturally influenced by French cinema and the Lumière brothers. The first Italian cinema screening occurred in Turin in March 1896. In November 1896, Italian filmmakers performed the first cinema screening of a film before a fee-paying audience.


title: Turin

text: By the start of the 20th century (especially after 1907), a number of the first Italian films were aired in Turin. Examples include Giovanni Pastrone "Cabiria", in 1914, one of the first blockbusters in history.


title: Turin

text: The Turin-based company Ambrosio Film, established in 1906 by Arturo Ambrosio, was one of the leading forces in Italian cinema and boosted the importance of the city as a filmmaking destination. The company, noted in particular for its historical epics, produced a large number of films until it was dissolved in 1924.


title: Turin

text: During the 1920s and 30s, Turin hosted a number of film productions and major film studios ("film houses"), such as the Itala film, Aquila and Fert Studios. Today their heritage is in the modern Lumiq Studios and Virtual Reality Multi Media Spa. Turin's prominence in Italian film continued until 1937, the year Cinecittà was inaugurated in Rome.


title: Turin

text: After World War II, the cinematic scene in Turin continued to thrive. 1956 saw the opening of the National Museum of Cinema, first housed in the Palazzo Chiablese and then, from 2000, in the imposing headquarters of the Mole Antonelliana. In 1982 the film critic Gianni Rondolino created Festival Internazionale Cinema Giovani, which later became the Torino Film Festival.


title: Turin

text: Today Turin is one of the main cinematographic and television centres in Italy, thanks to the role of the Turin Film Commission that reports the production of many feature films, soap operas and commercials.


title: Turin

text: Turin streets were the locations where Audrey Hepburn played "War and Peace", Michael Caine drove a Mini Cooper in "The Italian Job", Claudio Bisio becomes the president of the Italian Republic, Carlo Verdone set his version of "Cinderella", Marco Tullio Giordana shot "", Woody Allen shot "Hannah and Her Sisters", Cate Blanchett played "Heaven", Giovanna Mezzogiorno "Vincere", Marcello Mastroianni and Jacqueline Bisset "The Sunday Woman", and Harvey Keitel "The Stone Merchant". Turin also became the capital of the tsar for "The Demons of St. Petersberg".


title: Turin

text: Turin is well known for its chocolate production, especially for its traditional, ingot-shaped chocolate called "gianduiotto", named after Gianduja, a local commedia dell'arte mask. Moreover, the city is also known for the so-called "bicerin", a traditional hot drink made of espresso, drinking chocolate and whole milk served layered in a small rounded glass. Every year Turin organizes "CioccolaTÒ", a two-week chocolate festival run with the main Piedmontese chocolate producers, such as Caffarel, Streglio, Venchi and others, as well as some big international companies, such as Lindt & Sprüngli.


title: Turin

text: As for snack food, the now popular tramezzini were first served in a historic café of downtown Turin, namely "Caffè Mulassano", where they were devised in 1925 as an alternative to English tea sandwiches. In recent years, another trademark drink of the city is "MoleCola", an Italian Coca-Cola that entered production in 2012 and quickly spread both in Italy and outside its native country.


title: Turin

text: Local cuisine also features a particular type of pizza, so-called "pizza al padellino" or "pizza al tegamino", which is basically a small-sized, thick-crust and deep-dish pizza typically served in several Turin pizza places.


title: Turin

text: Since the mid-1980s, Piedmont has also benefited from the start of the Slow Food movement and Terra Madre, events that have highlighted the rich agricultural and vinicultural value of the Po Valley and Northern Italy.


title: Turin

text: Turin is home to one of Italy's oldest universities, the University of Turin, including its affiliated Collegio Carlo Alberto, which ranks among the best universities in the country. Another established university in the city is the Polytechnic University of Turin, ranking among Top 50 universities in the world and #1 in Italy in the fields of engineering, technology and computer science ("Academic Ranking of World Universities" published by Shanghai Jiao Tong University). Turin also hosts the United Nations System Staff College, the European Training Foundation, and a campus of the ESCP business school, ranked among the 10 best business schools in Europe. Moreover, the city hosts three small English language post-secondary institutions: St. John International University, International University College of Turin, and the Turin School of Development.


title: Turin

text: The city currently has a large number of rail and road work sites. Although this activity has increased as a result of the 2006 Winter Olympics, parts of it had long been planned. Some of the work sites deal with general roadworks to improve traffic flow, such as underpasses and flyovers, but two projects are of major importance and will radically change the shape of the city.


title: Turin

text: One is the "Spina Centrale" ("Central Spine") project which includes the doubling of a major railway crossing the city, the Turin-Milan railway locally known as "Passante Ferroviario di Torino" ("Turin Railway Bypass"). The railroad previously ran in a trench, which will now be covered by a major boulevard running from North to South of Turin, in a central position along the city. Porta Susa, on this section, will become Turin's main station to substitute the terminus of Porta Nuova with a through station. Other important stations are Stura, Rebaudengo, Lingotto and Madonna di Campagna railway stations, though not all of them belong to the layout of the Spina Centrale.


title: Turin

text: The other major project is the construction of a subway line based on the VAL system, known as Metrotorino. This project is expected to continue for years and to cover a larger part of the city, but its first phase was finished in time for the 2006 Olympic Games, inaugurated on 4 February 2006 and opened to the public the day after. The first leg of the subway system linked the nearby town of Collegno with Porta Susa in Turin's city centre. On 4 October 2007, the line was extended to Porta Nuova and then, in March 2011, to Lingotto. A new extension of the so-called "Linea 1" ("Line 1") is expected in the near future, reaching both Rivoli (up to Cascine Vica hamlet) in the Western belt of Turin and "Piazza Bengasi" in the Southeast side of the city. Furthermore, a "Linea 2" is in the pipeline that will connect the south-western district of Mirafiori with Barriera di Milano in the north end. In June 2018, the project entered the public consultation phase with the proposed list of 23 stations published on the city's website.


title: Turin

text: The main street in the city centre, "Via Roma", runs atop a tunnel built during the fascist era (when "Via Roma" itself was totally refurbished and took on its present-day aspect). The tunnel was supposed to host the underground line but it is now used as an underground car park. A project to build an underground system was ready in the 1970s, with government funding for it and for similar projects in Milan and Rome. Whilst the other two cities went ahead with the projects, Turin's local government led by mayor Diego Novelli shelved the proposal as it believed it to be too costly and unnecessary.


title: Turin

text: The city has an international airport known as Caselle International Airport Sandro Pertini (airport code: TRN), in Caselle Torinese, about from Turin's centre – connected to the city by rail (from Dora Station) and bus (from Porta Nuova and Porta Susa railway stations).


title: Turin

text: The average amount of time people spend commuting with public transit in Turin (for example, to and from work) on a weekday is 65 min. 14.% of public transit riders, ride for more than 2 hours every day. The average amount of time people wait at a stop or station for public transit is 14 min, while 19% of riders wait for over 20 minutes on average every day. The average distance people usually ride in a single trip with public transit is , while 9% travel more than in a single direction.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, that became one of the pioneering bands of psychedelic rock. Formed in 1965, the group defined the San Francisco Sound and was the first from the Bay Area to achieve international commercial success. They headlined the Monterey Pop Festival (1967), Woodstock (1969), Altamont Free Concert (1969), and the first Isle of Wight Festival (1968) in England. Their 1967 breakout album "Surrealistic Pillow" was one of the most significant recordings of the Summer of Love. Two songs from that album, "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit", are among "Rolling Stone"s "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: The October 1966 to February 1970 lineup of Jefferson Airplane, consisting of Marty Balin (vocals), Paul Kantner (guitar, vocals), Grace Slick (vocals), Jorma Kaukonen (lead guitar, vocals), Jack Casady (bass), and Spencer Dryden (drums), was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Balin left the band in 1971. After 1972, Jefferson Airplane effectively split into two groups. Kaukonen and Casady moved on full-time to their own band, Hot Tuna. Slick, Kantner, and the remaining members of Jefferson Airplane recruited new members and regrouped as Jefferson Starship in 1974, with Balin eventually joining them. Jefferson Airplane received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: In 1962, 20-year-old Marty Balin recorded two singles for Challenge Records, neither of which was successful. He then played in a folk quartet, the Town Criers, from April 1963 to June 1964. With the Beatles-led British Invasion, Balin was inspired by the emerging folk rock genre to form a group in March 1965 that would follow that lead, as well as opening a nightclub for them to perform. With a group of investors, he purchased a former pizza parlor on Fillmore Street in San Francisco and converted it into a club called the Matrix. Meanwhile, he searched for like-minded musicians to form his group.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: Balin met fellow folk guitarist and singer Paul Kantner during a hootenanny at another local club, the Drinking Gourd, and invited Kantner to join him in putting together a band. A native San Franciscan, Kantner had started out performing on the Bay Area folk circuit in the early 1960s, alongside fellow folkies Jerry Garcia and David Crosby. He cited folk groups like the Kingston Trio and the Weavers as strong early influences. He briefly moved to Los Angeles in 1964 to work in a folk duo with future Airplane/Starship member David Freiberg (who subsequently joined Quicksilver Messenger Service).


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: Balin and Kantner then recruited other musicians to form the house band at the Matrix. They hired bluegrass acoustic bassist Bob Harvey and former Marine Band drummer Jerry Peloquin. Both Kantner and Balin wanted the group to have a female singer. After hearing vocalist Signe Toly Anderson at the Drinking Gourd, Balin invited her to be the group's co-lead singer. Anderson sang with the band for a year and performed on their first album before departing in October 1966 after the birth of her first child.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: They still needed a lead guitarist. Kantner recruited an old friend, blues guitarist Jorma Kaukonen, who auditioned for the group and joined them in June, completing the original lineup. Originally from Washington, D.C., Kaukonen had moved to California in the early 1960s and met Kantner at Santa Clara University in 1962. Kaukonen was invited to jam with the new band, and although initially reluctant to join, he was won over after playing his guitar through a tape delay device that was part of the sound system used by Ken Kesey for his Acid Test parties.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: Kaukonen came up with the band name "Jefferson Airplane". It was based on the nickname "Blind Thomas Jefferson Airplane," which was given to Kaukonen by his friend Richmond "Steve" Talbot, inspired by the name of one of Kaukonen's influences, bluesmen Blind Lemon Jefferson. According to Kaukonen, "The band was coming up with all these really stupid names and I said, 'If you want something really silly, try Jefferson Airplane.'"


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: At a music shop near the Matrix, Peloquin encountered Matthew Katz, a music manager who was searching for a band to work with. Katz had beforehand offered to manage the Town Criers, Balin's previous group, but was turned down because of disagreements over his terms. Peloquin reintroduced Katz to Balin, who had been trying to find a manager for Jefferson Airplane. Katz enticed the band by mentioning that he had access to an unreleased Bob Dylan song, "Lay Down Your Weary Tune", and they appointed him as their manager, although they did not officially sign a contract with Katz until December 1965.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: After rehearsing throughout the summer, the group made its first public appearance as Jefferson Airplane at the opening night of The Matrix on August 13, 1965. The band expanded from its folk roots, drawing inspiration from the Beatles, the Byrds and the Lovin' Spoonful, and gradually developed a more pop-oriented electric sound. Later that month, John L. Wasserman of the "San Francisco Chronicle" praised the band's "musical approach and style"—noting their blend of folk, blues, and rock and roll—and remarked, "Although there are but hints at this time, it is entirely possible that this will be the new direction of contemporary pop music."


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: A few weeks after the group started performing, Peloquin departed because of conflicts with his bandmates, in part because of his disdain for their drug use. Although he was not a drummer, singer-guitarist Skip Spence (who later co-founded Moby Grape) was then invited to replace Peloquin. Spence quickly adapted and made his debut at the Matrix in September. In October 1965, after the other members decided that Bob Harvey's bass playing was not up to par, he was replaced by guitarist-bassist Jack Casady, an old friend of Kaukonen from Washington, D.C. Casady played his first gig with the Airplane on October 30 in the Harmon Gym at the University of California, Berkeley.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: The group's performance skills improved rapidly and they soon gained a strong following in and around San Francisco, aided by reviews from music journalist Ralph J. Gleason, the jazz critic of the "San Francisco Chronicle". After seeing them at the Matrix, Gleason wrote in the September 13 edition of his "On the Town" column that the band, still without a record deal, would "obviously record for someone" eventually. Gleason's support raised the band's profile considerably, and within three months Katz was fielding offers from recording companies, although they had yet to perform outside the San Francisco Bay Area.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: Two significant early concerts featuring the Airplane were held in late 1965. The first was the historic dance at the Longshoremen's Hall in San Francisco on October 16, 1965, the first of many "happenings" in the Bay Area, where Gleason first saw them perform. At this concert they were supported by a local folk-rock group, the Great Society, that featured Grace Slick as lead singer, and it was here that Kantner met Slick for the first time. A few weeks later, on November 6, they appeared at a benefit concert for the San Francisco Mime Troupe, the first of many promotions by rising Bay Area entrepreneur Bill Graham, who later became the band's manager.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: By late 1965, Jefferson Airplane, under Katz's management, had turned down recording offers from Capitol, Valiant, Fantasy, Elektra, and London. In November 1965, Jefferson Airplane signed a recording contract with RCA Victor, which included a then unheard-of advance of $25,000. Before this, they had recorded a demo for Columbia Records of "The Other Side Of This Life" with Harvey on bass, which was immediately rejected by the label. On December 10, 1965, the Airplane played at the first Bill Graham-promoted show at the Fillmore Auditorium, supported by the Great Society and others. The Airplane also appeared at numerous Family Dog shows promoted by Chet Helms at the Avalon Ballroom.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: The group's first single was Balin's "It's No Secret" (a tune he wrote with Otis Redding in mind); the B-side was "Runnin' Round the World", the song that led to the band's first clash with RCA Victor over the lyric "The nights I've spent with you have been fantastic trips". After their debut LP was completed in March 1966, Skip Spence quit the band and he was eventually replaced by Spencer Dryden, who played his first show with the Airplane at the Berkeley Folk Festival on July 4, 1966. Dryden had previously played with a Los Angeles group called the Ashes, which later became the Peanut Butter Conspiracy.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: Original manager Katz was fired in August, sparking a long-running legal battle that continued until 1987, and Balin's friend and roommate Bill Thompson was installed as road manager and temporary band manager. It was Thompson, a friend and staunch supporter of the band and a former "Chronicle" staffer, who had convinced reviewers Ralph Gleason and John Wasserman to see the band at the Longshoreman's Hall. Thanks to Gleason's influence, Thompson was able to book the group for appearances at the Berkeley Folk Festival and at the Monterey Jazz Festival.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: The group's debut LP "Jefferson Airplane Takes Off" was released on August 15, 1966. The album was dominated by Balin, who provided most of the lead vocals and had a hand in writing all of the original material. It also contained covers of "Tobacco Road", "Let's Get Together", and "Chauffeur Blues", which became a signature tune for Anderson. RCA Victor initially pressed only 15,000 copies, but it sold more than 10,000 in San Francisco alone, prompting the label to reprint it. For the re-pressing, the company deleted "Runnin' Round This World" (which had appeared on early mono pressings), because executives objected to the word "trip" in the lyrics. For similar reasons, RCA Victor substituted altered versions for two other tracks: "Let Me In", changing the line "I gotta get in/you know where" to "you shut your door/now it ain't fair." In the same song, they also switched the lyric "Don't tell me you want money" to "Don't tell me it ain't funny". "Run Around" was also edited, changing the line "flowers that sway as you lay under me" to "flowers that sway as you stay here by me". The original pressings of the LP featuring "Runnin' 'Round This World" and the uncensored versions of "Let Me In" and "Run Around" are collectors items.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: Signe Anderson gave birth to her daughter in May 1966, and in October she announced her departure from the band. Her final performance with the Airplane took place at the Fillmore on October 15, 1966. A recording of the performance was in 2010 released as a live album, subtitled "Signe’s Farewell".


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: The following night, Anderson's replacement Grace Slick made her first appearance. Slick was already well known to the band—she had attended the Airplane's debut gig at the Matrix in 1965 and her previous group, the Great Society, had often supported the Airplane in concert.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: Slick's recruitment proved pivotal to the Airplane's commercial breakthrough—she possessed a powerful and supple contralto voice that complemented Balin's and was well-suited to the group's amplified psychedelic music. A former model, her good looks and stage presence greatly enhanced the group's live impact. "White Rabbit" was written by Slick while she was still with The Great Society. The first album she recorded with Jefferson Airplane was "Surrealistic Pillow", its 1967 breakout album. Slick provided two songs from her previous group: her own "White Rabbit" and "Somebody to Love", written by her brother-in-law Darby Slick. Both songs became breakout successes for Jefferson Airplane and have ever since been associated with that band.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: The Great Society had recorded an early version of "Somebody to Love" (under the title "Someone to Love") as the B-side of their only single, "Free Advice", produced by Sylvester Stewart (soon to become famous as Sly Stone). It reportedly took more than 50 takes to achieve a satisfactory rendition. The Great Society split up in late 1966 and played its last show on September 11. Soon after, Slick was asked to join Jefferson Airplane by Casady (whose musicianship was a major influence on her decision) and her Great Society contract was bought out for $750.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: In December 1966, Jefferson Airplane was featured in a "Newsweek" article about the booming San Francisco music scene, one of the first in a welter of similar media reports that prompted a massive influx of young people to the city and contributed to the commercialization of hippie culture.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: Around the beginning of 1967, Bill Graham took over from Thompson as manager. In January the group made its first visit to the East Coast. On January 14, alongside the Grateful Dead and Quicksilver Messenger Service, Jefferson Airplane headlined the "Human Be-In", the famous all-day "happening" in Golden Gate Park, one of the key events leading up to the "Summer of Love".


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: During this period the band gained its first international recognition when rising British pop star Donovan, who saw them during his stint on the U.S. West Coast in early 1966, mentioned the Airplane in his song "The Fat Angel", which subsequently appeared on his "Sunshine Superman" LP.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: The group's second LP, "Surrealistic Pillow", recorded in Los Angeles with producer Rick Jarrard in 13 days at a cost of $8,000, launched the Airplane to international fame. Released in February 1967, the LP entered the "Billboard" 200 album chart on March 25 and remained there for over a year, peaking at No. 3. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. The name "Surrealistic Pillow" was suggested by the album's "shadow producer," Jerry Garcia, when he mentioned that, as a whole, the album sounded "as surrealistic as a pillow is soft." Although RCA did not acknowledge Garcia's contributions to the album with a production credit, he is listed in the album's credits as "spiritual advisor."


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: In addition to the group's two best-known tracks, "White Rabbit" and "Somebody to Love", the album featured "My Best Friend" by former drummer Skip Spence, Balin's driving blues-rock songs "Plastic Fantastic Lover" and "3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds", and the atmospheric Balin-Kantner ballad "Today". A reminder of their earlier folk incarnation was Kaukonen's solo acoustic guitar "tour de force" "Embryonic Journey" (his first composition), which referenced contemporary acoustic guitar masters such as John Fahey and helped to establish the popular genre exemplified by acoustic guitarist Leo Kottke.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: The first single from the album, "My Best Friend", failed to chart, but the next two rocketed the group to prominence. Both "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit" became major U.S. hits, the former reaching No. 5 and the latter No. 8 on the Billboard singles chart. By late 1967 the Airplane were national and international stars and had become one of the hottest groups in America. Grace Slick biographer Barbara Rowes called the album "a declaration of independence from the establishment [-] What Airplane originated was a romanticism for the electronic age. Unlike the highly homogenized harmonies of the Beach Boys, Airplane never strived for a synthesis of its divergent sensibilities. Through [-] each song, there remain strains of the individual styles of the musicians [creating] unusual breadth and original interplay within each structure".


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: This phase of the Airplane's career peaked with their famous performance at the Monterey International Pop Festival in June 1967. Monterey showcased leading bands from several major music "scenes" including New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and the United Kingdom, and the resulting TV and film coverage gave national (and international) exposure to groups that had previously had only regional fame. Two songs from the Airplane's set were subsequently included in the D. A. Pennebaker film documentary of the event.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: In August 1967, the Airplane performed in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, at two free outdoor concerts, along with fellow Bay Area band the Grateful Dead. The first concert was held in downtown Montreal at Place Ville Marie, and the second was at the Youth Pavilion of Expo 67.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: The Airplane also benefited greatly from appearances on national network TV shows such as "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" on NBC and "The Ed Sullivan Show" on CBS. The Airplane's famous appearance on "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" performing "White Rabbit" and "Somebody to Love" was videotaped in color and augmented by developments in video techniques. It has been frequently re-screened and is notable for its pioneering use of the Chroma key process to simulate the Airplane's psychedelic light show.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: After "Surrealistic Pillow", the group's music underwent a significant transformation. Key influences on the group's new direction were the popularity and success of Jimi Hendrix and the British supergroup Cream, which prompted the Airplane (like many other groups) to adopt a "heavier" sound and to place a greater emphasis on improvisation. The band's third LP, "After Bathing at Baxter's", was released on November 27, 1967, and eventually peaked in the charts at No. 17. Its famous cover, drawn by renowned artist and cartoonist Ron Cobb, depicts a Heath Robinson-inspired flying machine (constructed around an idealised version of a typical Haight-Ashbury district house) soaring above the chaos of American commercial culture.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: Recorded over a period of more than four months, with little input from nominal producer Al Schmitt, the new album demonstrated the group's growing engagement with psychedelic rock. Where the previous LP had consisted entirely of "standard-length" pop songs, "Baxter's" was dominated by long multi-part suites, while "A Small Package of Value Will Come To You Shortly" was a musique concrète-style audio collage.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: "Baxter's" also marked the ascendency of Kantner and Slick as the band's chief composers and the concurrent decline of Balin's influence and involvement. The other members, gravitating toward a harder-edged style, openly criticized Balin for his ballad-oriented compositions. Balin was also reportedly becoming increasingly disenchanted with the "star trips" and inflated egos generated by the band's runaway commercial success.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: In contrast to "White Rabbit" and "Somebody To Love", "The Ballad of You and Me and Pooneil" only peaked at No. 42 and "Watch Her Ride" stalled at No. 61. Both singles did reach the Top 40 in "Cash Box", however. None of the band's subsequent singles reached the "Billboard" Top 40 and several failed to chart at all. AM Top 40 radio became wary of a group that had scored a hit with a song that contained thinly veiled drug references and whose singles were often deemed too controversial, so Jefferson Airplane never again enjoyed the kind of widespread AM radio support that served as a prerequisite for Top Ten hits.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: In February 1968, manager Bill Graham was fired after Slick delivered an "either he goes or I go" ultimatum. Bill Thompson took over as permanent manager and set about consolidating the group's financial security, establishing Icebag Corp. to oversee the band's publishing interests and purchasing a 20-room mansion at 2400 Fulton Street across from Golden Gate Park near the Haight-Ashbury, which became the band's office and communal residence. Bill Laudner was hired as road manager.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: In mid-1968, the group was photographed for a "Life" magazine story on "The New Rock", appearing on the cover of the June 28, 1968 edition. They undertook their first major tour of Europe in August–September 1968, playing alongside the Doors in the Netherlands, England, Germany, and Sweden. In a notorious incident at a concert in Amsterdam, while the Airplane was performing "Plastic Fantastic Lover", Doors singer Jim Morrison, under the influence of a combination of drugs fans had given him, appeared on stage and began dancing "like a pinwheel". As the group played faster and faster, Morrison spun around wildly until he finally fell senseless on the stage at Balin's feet. Morrison was unable to perform his set with the Doors and was hospitalized; keyboardist Ray Manzarek sang all the vocals. It was also during this tour that Slick and Morrison allegedly engaged in a brief sexual relationship, described in "Somebody To Love?," Slick's 1998 autobiography.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: Jefferson Airplane's fourth LP, "Crown of Creation" (released in September 1968), was a commercial success, peaking at No. 6 on the album chart and receiving a gold certification. Slick's "Lather", which opens the album, is said to be about her affair with drummer Spencer Dryden and his 30th birthday. "Triad", a David Crosby composition, had been rejected by The Byrds because they deemed its subject matter (a "ménage à trois") to be too "hot." Slick's searing sexual and social-commentary anthem "Greasy Heart" was released as a single in March 1968. A few tracks recorded for the LP were left off the album but later included as bonus tracks, including the Grace Slick/Frank Zappa collaboration "Would You Like A Snack?"


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: The Airplane's appearance on "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" in the fall of that year caused a minor stir when Slick appeared in blackface (she claimed she simply wanted to wear all the makeup she saw in her dressing room) and raised her fist in the Black Panther Party's salute after singing "Crown of Creation".


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: In November 1968, the band played "House at Pooneil Corners" on a New York City rooftop. It was filmed for D. A. Pennebaker movie "1 PM". The concert was stopped by the police just like the Beatles' famous rooftop concert about two months later, as depicted in the 1970 documentary "Let It Be".


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: In February 1969, RCA released the live album "Bless Its Pointed Little Head", which was culled from 1968 performances at the Fillmore West on October 24–26 and the Fillmore East on November 28–30. It became the Airplane's fourth Top 20 album, peaking at No. 17.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: Hot Tuna began during a break in Jefferson Airplane's touring schedule in early 1969 while Grace Slick recovered from throat node surgery that left her unable to perform. Kaukonen, Casady, Kantner and drummer Joey Covington played several shows around San Francisco, including the Airplane's original club, The Matrix, before Jefferson Airplane resumed performing. Their early repertoire derived mainly from Airplane material that Kaukonen (the band's frontman) sang and covers of American country blues artists such as Reverend Gary Davis, Jelly Roll Morton, Bo Carter and Blind Blake. In addition, Casady and Kaukonen played as a duo under the moniker with Kaukonen on acoustic guitar and Casady on electric bass. From October 1969 to November 1970, Hot Tuna (also including Balin and, following Kantner's departure, a dedicated rhythm guitarist in their electric performances until November 1970) performed as the opening act to Jefferson Airplane with a combination of both electric and acoustic sets.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: In April 1969, sessions began for their next album, "Volunteers", using new 16-track facilities at the Wally Heider Studio in San Francisco. This proved to be the last album by the "classic" lineup of the group. The album's release was delayed when the band ran into conflict with their label over the content of songs such as "We Can Be Together" and the planned title of the album, "Volunteers of Amerika". "Volunteers of Amerika" is a corruption of the Volunteers of America charity, the term being in vogue in 1969 as an ironic expression of dissatisfaction with America; after the charity objected, the name was shortened to "Volunteers".


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: A few days after the band headlined at a free concert in New York's Central Park in August 1969, they performed in what Slick called the "morning maniac music" slot at the Woodstock Festival, for which the group was joined by noted British session keyboard player Nicky Hopkins. When interviewed about Woodstock by Jeff Tamarkin in 1992, Kantner recalled it with fondness, whereas Slick and Dryden had less rosy memories.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: Immediately after their Woodstock performance, the band taped an appearance on "The Dick Cavett Show" and played a few songs. Other guests on that same episode were David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Joni Mitchell. The new album was finally released in the United States in November 1969 with the title shortened to "Volunteers". The album continued the Airplane's run of Top 20 LPs, peaking at No. 13 and attaining a RIAA gold certification early in 1970. It was their most political venture, showcasing the group's vocal opposition to the Vietnam War and documenting their reaction to the changing political atmosphere in the United States. The best-known tracks include "Volunteers," "We Can Be Together," "Good Shepherd," and the post-apocalyptic "Wooden Ships," which Paul Kantner co-wrote with Crosby and Stills, and which Crosby, Stills & Nash also recorded on their debut album.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: RCA raised objections to the phrase "up against the wall, motherfucker" in the lyrics of Kantner's "We Can Be Together", but the group managed to prevent it from being censored on the album, pointing out that RCA had already allowed the offending word to be included on the cast album of the rock musical "Hair". In addition, the song had the line "in order to survive, we steal, cheat, lie, forge, fuck, hide, and deal", which was also kept on the album (and which they sang on broadcast TV during their Dick Cavett appearance). For the single versions of "We Can Be Together," "motherfucker" was changed to a long, drawn out "Ma," and "fuck" was changed to "fred." These edits were reflected in the printed lyrics that accompanied the album.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: In September 1969, Kaukonen and Casady played a week of acoustic-based concerts at the New Orleans House in Berkeley, California, as Hot Tuna; recordings culled from this engagement were released as the band's eponymous debut album in 1970. This initial Hot Tuna album was remarkably successful, reaching No. 30 on the U.S. album chart. Over the next two years, the various configurations of Hot Tuna began to occupy more and more of Casady's and Kaukonen's time, contributing to the growing divisions within Jefferson Airplane that came to a head in 1972.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: In December 1969, the Airplane played at the Altamont Free Concert at Altamont Speedway in California. Following the Grateful Dead's withdrawal from the program, they became the only band to perform at all three of the iconic rock festivals of the 1960s—Altamont, Monterey Pop, and Woodstock. Headlined by The Rolling Stones, the concert was marred by violence. Balin was knocked out during a scuffle with Hells Angels members who had been hired to act as "security." The event became notorious for the fatal stabbing of black teenager Meredith Hunter in front of the stage by Hells Angels "guards" after he pulled out a revolver during the Stones' performance. This incident was the centerpiece of the documentary film "Gimme Shelter".


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: Dryden was dismissed from the band in February 1970 by a unanimous vote of the other members. He felt burned out by four years on the "acid merry-go-round" and was deeply disillusioned by the events of Altamont, which, he later recalled, "did not look like a bunch of happy hippies in streaming colors. It looked more like sepia-toned Hieronymus Bosch." He took time off before returning to music the following year as Mickey Hart's replacement in the New Riders of the Purple Sage. Dryden was replaced by Hot Tuna drummer Joey Covington, who had already contributed additional percussion to "Volunteers" and performed select engagements with the Airplane as a touring second drummer in 1969. Later that year, the band was further augmented by the addition of veteran jazz violinist Papa John Creach, a friend of Covington who officially joined Hot Tuna and Jefferson Airplane for their fall tour in October 1970.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: Touring continued throughout 1970, but the group's only new recordings that year were the single "Mexico" backed with the B-side "Have You Seen the Saucers?" Slick's "Mexico" was an attack on President Richard Nixon's Operation Intercept, which had been implemented to curtail the flow of marijuana into the United States. "Have You Seen the Saucers" marked the beginning of the science fiction themes that Kantner explored in much of his subsequent work, including "Blows Against the Empire," his first solo album. Released in November 1970 and credited to "Paul Kantner/Jefferson Starship," this prototypical iteration of Jefferson Starship (alternatively known as the Planet Earth Rock and Roll Orchestra) included David Crosby and Graham Nash; Grateful Dead members Jerry Garcia, Bill Kreutzmann, and Mickey Hart; session luminary Harvey Brooks; David Freiberg; and Slick, Covington and Casady. "Blows Against the Empire" peaked at No. 20 in the United States and was the first rock album nominated for the Hugo Award.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: Jefferson Airplane ended 1970 with their traditional Thanksgiving Day engagement at the Fillmore East (marking the final performances of the short-lived Creach-era septet) and the release of their first compilation album, "The Worst of Jefferson Airplane", which continued their unbroken run of post-1967 chart success, reaching No. 12 on the "Billboard" album chart.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: 1971 was a year of major upheaval for Jefferson Airplane. Slick and Kantner had begun a relationship in 1970, and on January 25, 1971, their daughter China Wing Kantner ("Wing" was Slick's maiden name) was born. Slick's divorce from her first husband had come through shortly before this, but she and Kantner agreed that they did not wish to marry.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: In April 1971, Balin officially left Jefferson Airplane after disassociating himself from the group following the fall 1970 tour. Although he had remained a key part of live performances after the band's creative direction shifted from the brooding love songs that he specialized in, the evolution of the polarized Kantner/Slick and Kaukonen/Casady cliques—compounded by an emerging drinking problem—had finally left him the odd man out. Following the traumatic death of Janis Joplin, he began to pursue a healthier lifestyle; Balin's study of yoga and abstention from drugs and alcohol further distanced him from the other members of the group, whose drug intake continued unabated. This further complicated the recording of their long-overdue follow-up to "Volunteers"; Balin had recently completed several new songs, including "Emergency" and the elongated R&B-infused "You Wear Your Dresses Too Short," both of which later appeared on archival releases.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: On May 13, 1971, Slick was injured in a near-fatal automobile crash when her car slammed into a wall in a tunnel near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The accident happened while she was drag racing with Kaukonen; both were driving at over 100 miles per hour, and Kaukonen claims that he "saved her life" by pulling her from the car. Slick's recuperation took a few months, forcing the Airplane to curtail their touring commitments. In the meantime, Slick recorded a comic song ("Never Argue with a German If You're Tired or European Song") about the incident for the new album.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: In September 1971, "Bark" was released. With cover art depicting a dead fish wrapped in an A&P-style grocery bag, it was both the final album owed to RCA under the band's existing contract and the inaugural release on the band's Grunt Records vanity label. Manager Bill Thompson had struck a deal with RCA to allow Jefferson Airplane to run Grunt Records as they saw fit while retaining RCA's distribution. The single "Pretty As You Feel", excerpted from a longer jam with members of Santana and featuring lead vocals by Joey Covington, its principal composer, was the last Jefferson Airplane chart hit, peaking at No. 60 in "Billboard" and No. 35 in "Cashbox". The album rose to No. 11 in "Billboard", higher than "Volunteers", "Blows Against the Empire" and Hot Tuna's second album, "First Pull Up, Then Pull Down", released three months before "Bark" in June.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: Despite the band's continued success, major creative and personal divisions persisted between the Slick-Kantner and Kaukonen-Casady factions. (Kaukonen's "Third Week In The Chelsea," from "Bark", chronicles the thoughts he was having about leaving the band.) These problems continued to be exacerbated by the band's escalating cocaine use and Slick's alcohol use disorder. Consequently, while the band played several dates in August in support of "Bark" (including two concerts in the New York metropolitan area and a show apiece in Detroit and Philadelphia), no tour was planned. Following a private concert/party commemorating the formation of Grunt Records at San Francisco's Friends and Relations Hall in September, the band would not reconvene until several Midwestern engagements in January 1972.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: Jefferson Airplane held together long enough to record one more album, "Long John Silver," begun in April 1972 and released in July. By this time the various members were thoroughly engaged with their various solo projects. Following the release of Kantner and Slick's "Sunfighter" in November 1971 and Creach's eponymous solo debut in December 1971, Hot Tuna released their first studio album and third opus ("Burgers") in February 1972; meanwhile, Covington immersed himself in various Grunt Records projects, including his own solo album ("Fat Fandango", released in 1973) and the sessions for Black Kangaroo's debut album (led by multi-instrumentalist Peter Kaukonen, Jorma's younger brother). Covington was either dismissed from the band or left of his own volition shortly after the sessions commenced.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: With Hot Tuna drummer Sammy Piazza deputizing on one track, Covington (who had already recorded two drum parts) was soon replaced by former Turtles/CSNY drummer John Barbata, who ultimately played on most of the album. "Long John Silver" is notable for its cover, which folded out into a humidor, which the inner photo depicted as storing cigars (which may have been filled with marijuana). Despite middling reviews, the album rose to No. 20 in the United States, a significantly higher placement than "Burgers" (No. 68) or "Sunfighter" (No. 89).


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: The band began a proper national tour to promote "Long John Silver" in 1972, their first in nearly two years. Shortly before the tour commenced, David Freiberg (who had recently completed a prison sentence for marijuana possession after leaving Quicksilver Messenger Service) joined as a belated replacement for Balin. The East Coast leg of the tour included a major free concert in Central Park that drew over 50,000 attendees. They returned to the West Coast in September, playing concerts in San Diego, Hollywood, Phoenix and Albuquerque. The tour culminated in two shows at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco (September 21–22), both of which were recorded. At the end of the second show, the group was joined on stage by Balin, who sang lead vocals on "Volunteers" and the final song, "You Wear Your Dresses Too Short".


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: The Winterland shows were the last live performances by Jefferson Airplane until their reunion in 1989. A new live album, "Thirty Seconds Over Winterland", was culled from the tour and released in April 1973. Later that year, Kaukonen and Casady decided to focus on Hot Tuna as a full-time endeavor, effectively leaving the band; however, no official announcement was ever released. By December 1973, RCA had terminated the band's salaries, resulting in Freiberg being forced to draw unemployment to maintain his house payments.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: Following the commercially unsuccessful "Baron von Tollbooth & the Chrome Nun" (1973; credited to Kantner, Slick and Freiberg) and "Manhole" (1974; credited to Slick), Jefferson Airplane evolved into Jefferson Starship in January 1974. The initial lineup consisted of the remaining members of Jefferson Airplane (Kantner, Slick, Freiberg, Barbata, Creach); bassist Peter Kaukonen (soon replaced by British multi-instrumentalist Pete Sears, a veteran of Creach's debut solo album and "Manhole"); and lead guitarist Craig Chaquico, a member of Grunt Records band Jack Traylor and Steelwind who contributed to the Kantner/Slick solo albums beginning with "Sunfighter". They appropriated the name from Kantner's "Blows Against the Empire", with Bill Thompson convincing the group that maintaining the connection was prudent from a business standpoint. Reflecting the transition, the album "Dragon Fly", released in September 1974, was credited to Slick, Kantner and Jefferson Starship.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: After the acrimonious events that resulted in Jefferson Starship's 1984 evolution into Starship, Kantner reunited with Balin (who joined Jefferson Starship in January 1975 following a guest appearance on "Dragon Fly" before leaving once more in 1978) and Casady in 1985 to form the KBC Band. They released their only album, "KBC Band", in 1986 on Arista Records. On March 4, 1988, Slick made a cameo appearance during a Hot Tuna San Francisco performance at the Fillmore (with Kantner and Creach joining in), facilitating a potential reunion of Jefferson Airplane.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: In 1989, the classic 1966–70 lineup of Jefferson Airplane reunited (with the exception of Dryden) for a tour and album. The self-titled album was released by Epic to modest sales but the accompanying tour was considered a success.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: In 1996, the 1966–70 lineup of Jefferson Airplane was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with Balin, Casady, Dryden, Kantner and Kaukonen attending and performing. Slick was absent.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: 1998 saw the production and broadcast of a very popular episode of the hit VH1 documentary television series "Behind The Music" about Jefferson Airplane, directed by Bob Sarles. Band members Slick, Balin, Kantner, Kaukonen, Casady and Dryden were all interviewed for the episode, along with David Crosby, longtime Airplane manager Bill Thompson and China Kantner, daughter of Paul Kantner and Grace Slick.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: In 2004, the film "Fly Jefferson Airplane" (directed by Bob Sarles) was released on DVD. It covers the years 1965–72 and includes then-recent interviews with band members and 13 complete songs.


title: Jefferson Airplane

text: Kaukonen and Casady performed a set at the 2015 Lockn' Festival to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Jefferson Airplane. They were joined by G.E. Smith, Rachael Price, Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams. In 2016, Jefferson Airplane was given the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2022, Jefferson Airplane received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.


title: Boston Tea Party

text: The Boston Tea Party was an American political and mercantile protest by the Sons of Liberty in Boston, Massachusetts, on December 16, 1773. The target was the Tea Act of May 10, 1773, which allowed the British East India Company to sell tea from China in American colonies without paying taxes apart from those imposed by the Townshend Acts. The Sons of Liberty strongly opposed the taxes in the Townshend Act as a violation of their rights. Protesters, some disguised as Indigenous Americans, destroyed an entire shipment of tea sent by the East India Company.


title: Boston Tea Party

text: The demonstrators boarded the ships and threw the chests of tea into the Boston Harbor. The British government considered the protest an act of treason and responded harshly. The episode escalated into the American Revolution, becoming an iconic event of American history. Since then other political protests such as the Tea Party movement have referred to themselves as historical successors to the Boston protest of 1773.


title: Boston Tea Party

text: The Tea Party was the culmination of a resistance movement throughout British America against the Tea Act, a tax passed by the British Parliament in 1773. Colonists objected to the Tea Act believing it violated their rights as Englishmen to "no taxation without representation", that is, to be taxed only by their own elected representatives and not by a parliament in which they were not represented. In addition, the well-connected East India Company had been granted competitive advantages over colonial tea importers, who resented the move and feared additional infringement on their business. Protesters had prevented the unloading of tea in three other colonies, but in Boston, embattled Royal Governor Thomas Hutchinson refused to allow the tea to be returned to Great Britain.


title: Boston Tea Party

text: The Boston Tea Party was a significant event in the growth of the American Revolution. Parliament responded in 1774 with the Intolerable Acts, or Coercive Acts, which, among other provisions, ended local self-government in Massachusetts and closed Boston's commerce. Colonists up and down the Thirteen Colonies in turn responded to the Intolerable Acts with additional acts of protest, and by convening the First Continental Congress, which petitioned the British monarch for repeal of the acts and coordinated colonial resistance to them. The crisis escalated, and the American Revolutionary War began near Boston in 1775.


title: Boston Tea Party

text: The Boston Tea Party arose from two issues confronting the British Empire in 1765: the financial problems of the British East India Company; and an ongoing dispute about the extent of Parliament's authority, if any, over the British American colonies without seating any elected representation. The North Ministry's attempt to resolve these issues produced a showdown that would eventually result in revolution.


title: Boston Tea Party

text: As Europeans developed a taste for tea in the 17th century, rival companies were formed to import the product from China. In England, Parliament gave the East India Company a monopoly on the importation of tea in 1698. When tea became popular in the British colonies, Parliament sought to eliminate foreign competition by passing an act in 1721 that required colonists to import their tea only from Great Britain. The East India Company did not export tea to the colonies; by law, the company was required to sell its tea wholesale at auctions in England. British firms bought this tea and exported it to the colonies, where they resold it to merchants in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Charleston.


title: Boston Tea Party

text: Until 1767, the East India Company paid an "ad valorem" tax of about 25% on tea that it imported into Great Britain. Parliament laid additional taxes on tea sold for consumption in Britain. These high taxes, combined with the fact that tea imported into the Dutch Republic was not taxed by the Dutch government, meant that Britons and British Americans could buy smuggled Dutch tea at much cheaper prices. The biggest market for illicit tea was England—by the 1760s the East India Company was losing £400,000 per year to smugglers in Great Britain—but Dutch tea was also smuggled into British America in significant quantities.


title: Boston Tea Party

text: In 1767, to help the East India Company compete with smuggled Dutch tea, Parliament passed the Indemnity Act, which lowered the tax on tea consumed in Great Britain and gave the East India Company a refund of the 25% duty on tea that was re-exported to the colonies. To help offset this loss of government revenue, Parliament also passed the Townshend Revenue Act of 1767, which levied new taxes, including one on tea, in the colonies. Instead of solving the smuggling problem, however, the Townshend duties renewed a controversy about Parliament's right to tax the colonies.