40km from Turin is the favourite summer residence of the royal dynasty, transformed from a mighty castle into a cosy family nest where the last king of Italy was born and lived until the 1940s.
Castello Racconigi is a palace and landscaped park in the town of Racconigi, Cuneo province. It was once the official residence of the Carignano family, one of the lines of the Savoy dynasty, which is why it is listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site along with other former Savoyard residences.
The first mention of the castle dates back to the 11th century, when Bernardino of Susa rebuilt the old manor and gave it to the Cistercian monks. From the XIII century the castle was the property of the Margraves of Saluzzo, and in the XVI century it was bought by the Savoy dynasty. In 1630 Duke Charles Emmanuel I gave the castle to his nephew Thomas Francis, Prince of Carignano, founder of the Savoy-Carignano line. At the time, the castle was a tall brick fortress with a moat and four towers at the corners and a high donjon.
At the end of the 17th century, Thomas’s son Emmanuel Filiberto commissioned the architect Guarino Guarini to rebuild the castle into a residence suitable for nobles. The architect designed the central section to house the courtyard and built a pagoda-shaped roof. The two northern towers were replaced by pavilions with domes and marble lanterns. A garden was built around the castle. A century later, by order of Luigi Vittorio Carignano, the interior was restored, the two southern towers were enlarged, stucco and other decorations were added in neoclassical style. Also at the end of the XVIII century a new entrance to the castle with four Corinthian columns and a wide staircase was equipped.
The last king of Italy, Umberto II, was born in this castle in 1904. When he received the castle as a wedding gift in 1930, he established a family art gallery in the castle, which housed about 3,000 paintings and historical documents relating to the famous Shroud of Turin.
In 1994, most of Castello Raccoonigi and the surrounding park were opened to the public.
When you tour the castle, you will see an interesting collection of Baroque, Classicist and Deco furniture, as well as authentic belongings of royal family members and servants. A special place is given to exhibits related to the life of servants. Kitchens, pantries, governesses’ rooms, their bathrooms and dining rooms are open to visitors. The castle has a so-called princess corridor, along which there are small rooms. Among the other highlights of Racconigi Castle are the Gothic church and the Russian-style dacha built on the occasion of the arrival of Tsar Nicholas II in 1909.
Schedule changes, please check with the manager. Open all days except Mondays, 24-25 December, 1 January, 1 May
