Excursion: Royal Palace – Royal Palace Complex of Turin.
The Royal Palace of Turin (Palazzo Reale) is the residence of the rulers from the House of Savoy, who governed the duchy with its capital in Turin. Today, the Palazzo Reale is a museum complex open for visits. The building is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here you can view the palace interiors and preserved artworks used for decorating the rooms.
The rich interiors of the palace of the rulers of Turin are characterized by luxury, gilding, an abundance of precious stones, frescoes, tapestries, paintings, elegant furniture, stucco, large mirrors, and mosaic floors. During a visit to the Palazzo Reale, you can explore the bedrooms, the ceremonial and throne rooms, as well as several other apartments. The scale of the ballroom is emphasized by 20 marble columns supporting the vault of the room. Visitors are particularly interested in the incredible staircase “Scala delle Forbici.”
At one time, an important religious relic for Christians, the Shroud of Turin, was kept in the family chapel until it was moved to the Cathedral of Turin, which is connected to the palace by an underground passage.
The museum complex, in addition to the Royal Palace itself, includes: the armory with a collection of weapons and armor from past centuries. Among other things – mouthpieces, blades, pistols, many items feature inlays and engravings; the royal library with a vast collection of ancient editions, engravings, maps, and scientific works from various centuries.
Here is stored the famous “Self-Portrait” by Leonardo da Vinci. The royal library significantly expanded when King Carlo Alberto began acquiring exhibits from antique dealers and collectors;
Since 2014, part of the palace has housed the Turin Picture Gallery, where you can familiarize yourself with works by Italian masters, representatives of the Flemish and Dutch schools. Here are collected works from the collection of the kings of the House of Savoy.
The hall of temporary exhibitions is called Palazzo Chiablese; The Museum of Antiquities (Archaeological Museum) is also part of the Palazzo Reale complex in Turin. The museum houses artifacts collected by the Dukes of Savoy since the early 16th century;
After viewing the magnificent palace halls, you can relax in the Royal Garden. Here, flower beds are arranged, beautiful green spaces are available, and there is also the Triton Fountain in the garden.
The construction of the Palazzo Reale dates back to 1646–1660. Previously, there was the palace of the Bishop of Turin on this site.
The architects of the Royal Palace in Turin were Amedeo and Carlo di Castellamonte and Carlo Morello – court masters. Later, in the 18th century, the grand staircase “Scalone delle Forbici” (“Scissors”) was created by Filippo Juvarra.
The royal family used the Palazzo Reale di Torino for about two centuries. Since 1865, the palace has become a secondary residence, as Florence became the capital of unified Italy, and later Rome.
Open every day except December 24-25, January 1, and May 1.
