Royal Palace

Geographical, strategic and political centre of the capital of Savoy, the history of the Royal Palace started in 1584 when Carlo Emanuele I wanted to build a residence for the court that had established itself in the bishop’s palace following the transfer of the capital from Chambéry to Turin.
The continuous decorative renovations that have occurred over its five centuries of history have made it a place so rich in art works that it will leave you breathless.
DISCOVER MORE

Palazzo Reale, the Royal Palace, is the heart of Turin and was the geographical, strategic and political centre of the Savoy capital for centuries. The palace was the main residence of the Savoy family and is a place you absolutely must see when visiting the city or touring the Royal Residences.
The continuous decorative refurbishments that have been layered one on top of the other throughout its five centuries of history have made it breathtakingly rich in works of art.
Its story began in 1584, when Carlo Emanuele I wanted to build a palace for the court that had settled in the bishop’s palace following the transfer of the capital from Chambéry to Turin (1563). The project, initially entrusted to Ascanio Vitozzi, was completed after the end of the civil war (1639-1642).
The first important decorative phase dates back to 1660 and was carried out in preparation for the marriage of the heir to the throne, Carlo Emanuele II, to Francesca d’Orléans Valois. Two mirrored suites were created, one for the duke and one for the duchess, and under the guidance of literary scholar Emanuele Tesauro, who designed the iconographics, the rooms were decorated with precious gilded wooden ceilings featuring celebratory paintings with allegorical scenes. The garden was designed at the end of the 17th century, by the famous French landscape architect André Le Nôtre. Viennese painter Daniel Seiter became involved from 1684 to decorate the gallery still known today as the “Galleria del Daniel”, marking a new phase dedicated to the celebration of Duke Vittorio Amedeo II. With the assumption of the royal title in 1713, the key player in the decorative campaign was the first court architect, Filippo Juvarra, whose aim was to create a residence that could compete with those of the other European monarchies. The architect extended the palace, created a new access to the second floor with the spectacular “scissor” staircase. He designed rooms enriched with stuccoes, mirrors and Chinese lacquers, and called artists to Turin from all over Italy, dictating the new fashions for interior decoration. His successor, Benedetto Alfieri, continued the decoration of the palace in the Rococo style, celebrating the wealth and taste of the monarchs.
During the 19th century, under the reign of Carlo Alberto, the palace underwent further radical transformations inspired by the eclectic taste of Pelagio Palagi, to whom we owe the neoclassical Throne Room, Council Chamber and extraordinary Ballroom. With the transfer of the capital from Turin to Florence, many furnishings were allocated to other residences. Its ownership was transferred to the State following the constitution of the Italian Republic and it has been part of the Royal Museums’ itinerary since 2016.

Informations
Piazzetta Reale, 1 – Torino
+39 011 5211106
mr-to@cultura.gov.it