Historic residences
The royal residences follow the canons of monumental architecture of the 17th and 18th centuries, and are surrounded by superb parks and gardens. The House of Savoy called on the greatest architects for the residences, and the greatest gardeners for the gardens, such as the Frenchman André Le Nôtre, the unforgettable creator of the gardens at Versailles, who came to work for the Savoys in the second half of the 17th century, or Xavier Kurten, a German landscape architect trained in Paris, who introduced the Romantic style to Piedmont in the early 19th century.
It all began in 1563, when Emmanuel-Philibert, Duke of Savoy, moved the seat of his court from Chambéry to Turin and launched major construction projects to provide the city and its region with monuments befitting its new status as a center of power. The Dukes of Savoy became kings of Sicily and Sardinia at the beginning of the 18th century, and the capital of this kingdom was Turin. At the time of Italian reunification, Turin became the first capital of the Kingdom of Italy, from 1861 to 1865, and the descendants of the Dukes of Savoy were kings of Italy until the proclamation of the Italian Republic after the Second World War.
Today, most of these residences have become museums, and some are also places of higher learning. If you decide to spend a few days visiting these residences, whether on foot in Turin, by public transport or by bicycle in the surrounding area, don't forget to buy a pass (the Torino+Piemonte Card or the Royal Card, for example) and book your visits.
The Musei Reali
In Piazza Castello, the very heart of Turin, the royal sites that were at the heart of Turin's court life are grouped together under the name Musei Reali. The Royal Palace, around which everything is organized, is the first of these. It was the official residence of the Savoys for three hundred years, and its interior decoration is incredibly rich, especially the ceilings - true masterpieces! The palace adjoins the Chapel of the Holy Shroud, a majestic setting designed for the "treasure". The chapel suffered a fire twenty-five years ago, but has since been restored to its original splendor, with reinforced protection measures.
TheRoyal Armory is equally impressive, with its many gleaming suits of armor worn by kings and their horses. The Royal Library contains another treasure: Leonardo da Vinci's presumedSelf-portrait in red chalk. The Leonardo collection is rich: it includes thirteen drawings by the great master and the Codex on the Flight of Birds. The Palazzo Chiablese, connected to the Palazzo Reale, was home to many members of the royal family, and it was here that Marguerite of Savoy, the future first queen of Italy, was born in 1851. The Galleria Sabauda, next door, is an immense picture gallery of unparalleled richness in the region. Fra Angelico rubs shoulders with Veronese, Tintoretto, Rubens, Rembrandt..
The Archeological Museum, housed in the Manica Nuova of the Palazzo Reale and in the hypogeum of the Bassi Gardens, reveals the origins of Turin and Piedmont. Behind the Palazzo Reale, the Royal Gardens occupy an immense 10-hectare area on the ancient fortifications. They were designed by André Le Nôtre. Rich in statues, flowerbeds and fountains, you can visit them freely at any time of day, before and after tours, to take a break..
Palaces not to be missed
The Palazzo Madama, in the center of Piazza Castello, is a palace unique in the world, a perfect interpenetration of two thousand years of history: from the Roman gate to the medieval castle, from the masterpiece of European Baroque to the seat of the Senate where the birth of the Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed. " Madama " stands for "Madame Royale", i.e. Christine de France, daughter of Henri IV and Marie de Médicis, who was regent of the Duchy of Turin for ten years and chose this palace as her principal residence. Since 1934, it has been home to the Municipal Museum of Ancient Art, which today houses over 70,000 works of painting, sculpture and decorative arts, from the Byzantine period to the 19th century.
With its handsome red-brick Baroque façade overlooking the River Po, the Castello del Valentino is the seat of the Faculty of Architecture. Its slate roof was commissioned by Christine de France in memory of her childhood palaces in the Paris region. The facade, which faces the city, is also in the language of French châteaux. The park, designed in the 19th century, is one of the largest urban parks in Europe (over 500,000 m²). Here you'll find the borgo medievale, built in 1884 for the Universal Exhibition, waterside cafés in summer, and a beautiful botanical garden.
Away from the hustle and bustle of the city, on the other side of the Po, the Villa della Regina was built on a hill overlooking Turin. This elegant residence, built on the model of a Roman villa, is surrounded by terraced vineyards, among the oldest active urban vineyards in Europe. The setting is magnificent, offering a breathtaking panorama of Turin with the Alps in the background.
Venaria Reale, royal city
Ten kilometers northwest of Turin, the town of Veneria Reale was created to house the court. Work began in the second half of the 17th century: Charles-Emmanuel II commissioned the architect Amedeo di Castellamonte to design not only the royal residence, the Reggia di Veneria, but also a town around the palace with fine residences for the leading Piedmontese families, initially a stable for breeding horses surrounded by a vast 3,000-hectare park.
In the 18th century, Juvarra continued to expand the Reggia di Venaria. Comparisons with Versailles immediately spring to mind: the demonstration of absolute power, the Grand Gallery reminiscent of the Hall of Mirrors, the immense and superb gardens... It is one of the largest and most spectacular royal residences in Europe and one of Italy's most visited cultural sites.
The surroundings of Turin
Château de Moncalieri is one of the oldest royal residences of the Savoy family, and one of their favorites. Surrounded by a vast park, the castle was to become a veritable splendor over the years. History has repeatedly damaged the building, most recently by fire in 2008, but it has always been renovated and pampered. A visit to the apartments is a real journey back in time.
The Palazzina di Caccia in Stupinigi is one of the most beautiful castles in the Turin region, enriched by a series of parks and gardens. This rococo palace was built to plans by Filippo Juvarra in 1729. Its role as a hunting lodge is recalled by the statue of a stag on the roof. This complex, with its unique originality and architectural prowess, has been home to the Museum of Art and Furnishings since 1919. Exciting tours of various aspects of court life are organized on a regular basis, and it is possible to book a tour in French if arranged in advance. The immense surrounding park was declared a nature reserve in 1991, providing shelter for wild boar, squirrels and pheasants.
A little further away from Turin, you'll discover magnificent castles that have become royal residences in the enchanting landscapes of Piedmont.
Château d'Agliè, some 30 km north of Turin, is a splendid setting, with the Alps towering in the background and an enchanting 32-hectare park with tall trees, greenhouses, fountains and a romantic lake... The château, an ancient 12th-century fortress, was acquired by the House of Savoy in 1763, when it was extensively refurbished and embellished in a refined style. More than three hundred rooms are decorated with marble, gilding and frescoes... And the ballroom is grandiose!
South of Turin (about 40 km), the Château de Racconigi was completely transformed in the 17th century. André Le Nôtre designed the garden in 1670, and the architect Guarino Guarini redesigned the façade towards the park and the central pavilion, but other architects (Giovanni Battista Borra, Pelagio Palagi...) and gardeners (always Xavier Kurten, who redesigned the exteriors according to the romantic canons of the early 19th century) followed in succession to make this palace and its surroundings an extraordinary estate. The interior is richly decorated, with Baroque and Neoclassical elements, ceremonial salons, gigantic kitchens and a famous Etruscan cabinet..
Fifty kilometers southeast of Turin, Govone Castle is a real curiosity. Acquired by King Charles-Felix in 1792, who decided to make it his summer residence, it boasts some truly splendid interior decorations, notably the four "Chinese" rooms, set with rare and delicate wall paintings, as well as grandiose frescoes and dazzling trompe-l'oeil throughout the castle. But it's perhaps the Italian garden, with its precious rosebushes, that is most fascinating.
Near Bra, some 50 km south of Turin, Pollenzo Castle, a former royal residence, is privately owned and not open to visitors. La Tenuta, or the estate, was conceived and designed by Charles-Albert of Savoy in 1833 as a modern farm with vineyards for oenological expertise unheard of at the time. The entire complex was renovated in the early 2000s by the Slow Food association to create the University of Gastronomic Sciences, the first of its kind in the world. The buildings also house the Wine Bank, a paradise for wine lovers!
Official website: www.residenzereali.it
