Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi

The Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi is an architectural jewel nestled in the countryside just outside Turin, just 10 km from the city’s Piazza Castello, and is framed by the breathtaking panorama of the Alps. Considered to be the masterpiece of architect Filippo Juvarra – who made it an international model for loisir residences – and commissioned by Vittorio Amedeo II for the amusement of the Savoy court, it was built in 1729 in the middle of a vast hunting reserve, establishing a privileged relationship with the surrounding environment.
The rational management of the land emerges in the design of a complete urban settlement at the service of the Palace, complete with stables, storerooms, farmsteads, kennels and living quarters. From 1754, the complex became easily accessible from the capital via a tree-lined avenue.
For the main building, Juvarra conceived a structure in the shape of the cross of St Andrew, the arms of which, projected towards the gardens, contained the apartments used by the royal family. At the centre of the cross, the hub of the geometric layout on which the floor plan is based, stands the large elliptical hall, designed as a spectacular space for parties. Entirely painted in mock architectural elements by the Bolognese Illusionist painters Domenico and Giuseppe Valeriani, the hall engages the spectator in a scenographic exchange of painting, sculpture and architecture, amalgamated by the light that floods in through the large windows. The hunting theme, chosen as the central element of the ceiling of the hall salon with the Apotheosis of Diana, is, together with that of nature, the leitmotif for the frescoes, furnishings and sculptures that adorn the rooms of the residence.
At the request of Carlo Emanuele III (successor to Vittorio Amedeo II), from 1740, Benedetto Alfieri extended the palace with two apartments for the new king’s sons, the Duke of Savoy and the Duke of Chiablese. The interiors were characterised by Rococo decoration centred on the charm of mirrors and a taste for exoticism, with drawing rooms decorated with wallpaper imported from China. With 1798 and the French occupation, work on the extensions, which had lasted throughout the century, came to an end. During the 19th century, the Palace was redecorated several times to accommodate the monarchs who chose it as their holiday retreat, such as Carlo Felice and Maria Cristina of Bourbon and, as recently as the 20th century, Margherita of Savoy.
In 1919, the Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi, entrusted to the Mauritian Order, became the premises of the Museum of Art and Furniture. Important restoration work has been carried out recently and since 2016 the restored visitor itinerary has included almost all the stately apartments. The preservation and enhancement of this heritage is now the responsibility of the Mauritian Order Foundation.