This article first appeared in My Travelogue by Bhushavali
A trip to Turin to visit one of the
UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN PIEDMONT
When I got the chance to visit Turin in Italy there were 2 major things that I
didn't want to miss - the Turin Shroud and the Residences of the Royal House
of Savoy which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was later that I came to
know that the Church in which the Turin Shroud is kept, is a part of the
Residences of the Royal House of Savoy! Read on for all about the Residences
of the Royal House of Savoy which is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites
and one of the top places to visit in Turin.
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Throne Room at the Royal Palace of Turin
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The throne at the Royal Palace of Turin
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Swiss Guard Hall at the Royal Palace of Turin
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Dining Room at the Royal Palace of Turin
Ultimate Travel Guide to Visit
ROYAL PALACE OF TURIN
and other Residences of the Royal House of Savoy
WHAT ARE THE RESIDENCES OF THE ROYAL HOUSE OF SAVOY? WHY ARE THEY A UNESCO WORLD
HERITAGE SITE?
Like every major town that has had a major Royal Family and their palaces have always been a major tourist attraction. Just like the House of Tudors in England or the House of Oldenburg in Denmark, Turin's major Royal family is the
Royal House of Savoy. Their importance is especially because the House of Savoy led the Italian unification in 1860. The palaces, castles, and villas that they built in the 17th & 18th C CE have been listed together as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Piemonte region in Italy.
HOW MANY ARE THE RESIDENCES OF THE ROYAL HOUSE OF SAVOY?
14 sites are listed together under UNESCO as the Residences of the Royal House
of Savoy. In the heart of Turin are Palazzo Reali (& associated sites),
Palazzo Madama, Palazzo Carignano, Castello del Valentino, and Villa della
Regina. The rest are on the outskirts of Turin and in far-away places
within Piemonte. Of the 5 in the heart of the city, I managed to visit 2 and
see 2 from outside!
ROYAL COMMAND ZONE - PALAZZO REALE & ASSOCIATED SITES
The most important site of the 14 sites under the Residences of the Royal House of Savoy is the Royal Command Zone. Most of the sites under the
Royal Command Zone are now combined together as Musei Reali which comprises Cappella della Sacra Sindone, Palazzo Reale, Armeria Reale, Galleria Sabauda, and Museo di Antichita. Plus there are the Biblioteca
Reale, Giardini Reale, and Palazzo
Chiablese.
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Dome of Cathedral as seen from the panoramic tower of Palazzo Madama
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Dome of the Chapel of Holy Shroud from inside the Chapel
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Globe on display at the Royal Library
Capella della Sacra Sindone & Cattedrale di San Giovanni Battista
(Chapel of the Holy Shroud & Cathedral of Saint John the
Baptist):
The first ever site that I visited was the Cathedral of Saint John the
Baptist where the Holy Shroud rests today. It is believed that the shroud
originally wrapped Jesus Christ when he was kept in the cave after bringing
him down from the cross. So, this is one of the important Christian Pilgrimage Sites in Italy. Believers believe and others don't, I'm not getting
into that! No matter what your faith is, this is still in worship, so follow
the basic etiquette associated with it, like wearing modest clothing &
respecting the devotees, etc.
Where is the Holy Shroud of Turin? The whole space has a strange setting & is a bit confusing for
visitors & tourists! The original 'Chapel of the Holy Shroud' is inside the Musei
Reali, as a part of the palace. However, currently, the shroud is in the
neighboring Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist (they share a wall)! To see
the 'shroud' (or rather, its vault), you have to visit the Cathedral &
it is free of cost while the actual 'Chapel of the Holy Shroud' can be seen
only as a part of the Musei Reali visit which is ticketed! In fact, when you
visit the Chapel (in Musei Reali), it is possible to see the Cathedral &
the vault through the glass with a staircase going down!
History of the Chapel of the Holy Shroud: The shroud has been in the possession of the Savoy Family since 1453 and
after the palace was built here in 1578, duke Emmanuel Philibert decided to
bring it here. Bernardino Quadri designed this Chapel (not the Cathedral) in
1657 at an elevated level than the cathedral, on the same level as the
palace, and connected it with the Cathedral with a staircase! So, the royal
family could come 'down' to the Cathedral from the Chapel of Holy Shroud
that they built. It was however completed by Guarino Guarini. It was under
him, the unusual dome that we see today was built. To keep its weight light,
it was designed creatively with less stone & more glass which also let
in more sunlight! Everywhere, it is a mix of star & hexagon shapes. From
1694, the shroud has been here in the Chapel, under the dome. However, there
was a major fire here in 1997, from which somehow the shroud was saved and
moved to the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist! Major restoration works
happened and the Chapel was opened to the public again in 2018.
The shroud
is still in the Cathedral of Saint John, protected in a vault that is
wind/water/fireproof and is not in public view!!! So no, you cannot see the
shroud at all & it is not on display (and it is not in the Chapel of
Holy Shroud as well)!
Where is the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist (on Google
Maps): Cattedrale di San Giovanni Battista
How to reach the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist? 2 mins walk from Musei Reali
Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist ticket: Free
Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist timings: 10:00AM to 12:30PM & 4:00PM to 7:00PM
Where is the Chapel of the Holy Shroud in Turin (on Google
Maps): inside Musei Reale as mentioned below
How to reach the Chapel of the Holy Shroud in Turin? via the entrance of Musei Reale mentioned below
Chapel of the Holy Shroud in Turin ticket: Included in the tickets of the Musei Reali (details below)
Chapel of the Holy Shroud in Turin timings:
same as Musei Reali (details below)
Biblioteca Reale (Royal Library):
The Royal Library is a separate site, a few doors away from Musei Reali
and it is free to visit as well. While you could pick up a book, sit there
are read, otherwise there isn't much to do here. The library does house some important books, engravings, drawings, etc., including a self-portrait of Leonardo da Vinci. The historic globe of
1834 there did catch my attention. I like looking at India on old European
globes like in Plantin-Moretus in Belgium. Here it mentioned India as
Indostan!
Where is Biblioteca Reale (on Google Maps): Biblioteca Reale
How to reach Biblioteca Reale?
Biblioteca Reale ticket: Free
Biblioteca Reale timings: Mon-Fri 9:00AM to 6.30PM; Sat 9:00AM to 1.30PM
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Daniel's Gallery at the Royal Palace of Turin
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Daniel's Gallery at the Royal Palace of Turin
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Blind-Room (Room without windows) at the Royal Palace of Turin
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Ball Room at the Royal Palace of Turin
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Details from the Ball Room at the Royal Palace of Turin
MUSEI REALI (ROYAL MUSEUMS)
Virtual visit of Musei Reali Torino (Self-guided tour of the Royal Museums of Turin): As soon as you get into the Musei Reali, at your right, you enter the Royal Palace of Turin. Halfway through your walk through the state apartment rooms, the path takes you to the Royal Armoury, then back into the Royal Palace and at the end of it, you get out of the staterooms and get to the Chapel of the Holy Shroud. Then you get out to the Royal Gardens and get into the Saubada Gallery. The Archaeological Museum is on the underground floor below the Saubada Gallery.
It is possible to get out of the museum and get back in again with the same ticket. After visiting a part of Musei Reali, I headed out to visit Palazzo Madama and came back here to finish the rest of the self-guided tour of Musei Reali Torino.
Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace):
As soon as you get the ticket to Musei Reali & enter the Royal Palace, you
see the Grand Staircase. This is surrounded by frescoes everywhere - walls & ceiling. The ceiling is rather exquisite. Then comes the huge Swiss Guard Hall that's 2 floors tall! After 3 antechambers, all of which have stucco ceiling details & painted ceilings & wall friezes, you reach the Throne Room. Since
1831, this room has been the King's Throne room beginning with King Carlo Alberto. Quite amusingly the golden railing around the Throne predates the room. Made in 1788, this was once in the bedchamber of Duchess of Aosta. The ceiling detailing is so extravagant and it is completely gilded. The oval painting on the ceiling is by Jan Miel, a Flemish painter! The next room is almost equally gorgeous and was the Private Audience Room of the king. Carlo Alberto met Napoleon III of France, Vittorio Emmanuele II of Sweden & many others here. There's also a private chapel for the king, here! Bang at the center is a green font made of Malachite which was a gift from the Tsar of Russia! The next is the Council room.
The next two are the Chinese Private Room and Royal Medallions Room. In 1732, the abbot of Messina Filippo Juvarra bought some Chinese-made wooden panels on the Roman market, and then, a Piemontese artist took it as inspiration and completed the decor of the rest of the room in the best Oriental Imitation art as possible by him. The Royal Medal collection in display cabinets is more than 30,000! Quite amusingly I spotted a sculpture of the Hindu God Mahishasura Mardini.
Beyond this is the Royal Armoury. After visiting the Royal Armoury, you enter back into the palace into the Bed-chamber of King Charles Albert, followed by the Breakfast room, The next special room is the Daniel's Gallery. This room showcases many portraits of royal family members, other important people, historic figures, etc commissioned by Carlo Alberto. The ceiling fresco was done by Daniel Sieter of Vienna. After this are the Dining room & Coffee room and then the Alcove Room which has a Royal Family's pottery collection. At very last is the spectacular Ball Room!
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Ceiling of the Swiss Guard Room at the Royal Palace of Turin
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Ceiling details of the Thorne Room & Council Room at the Royal Palace of Turin
Armeria Reale (Royal Armoury):
Though called the Royal Armoury, this is in close quarters to the state apartments and is equally gorgeous! This dates back to 1837 when King Carlo Alberto wanted to showcase the arms of the House of Savoy. Today the armory has more than 500 weapons on display! The gilded stucco detailing and the frescoes on the wall & ceiling are just magnificent and a visual treat.
One of the important display here is the armor worn by King Emmanuel Philibert when he posed for his first official portrait (in early 1500s). The portrait itself is now in Galleria Sabauda. Another important artifact is the Shield of Henry II of France. It is quite detailed with bas relief & inlaid work in gold & silver. Yet another important display is of the belongings of Napoleon Bonaparte - 2 flag poles and 1 sword.
Galleria Sabauda (Saubada Gallery - Royal Gallery):
Galleria Sabauda is the Fine Art Museum / Royal Gallery of Musei Reali Torino. About 400 works of various European artists from 14th-20th C are on display. Some Piemontese painters on display here are Martino Spanzotti, Defendente Ferrari, Macrino d'Alba, Gaudenzio Ferrari etc. I was happy to see the works of Flemish Masters including Jan van Eyck, Anton van Dyck, Peter Paul Rubens, & more are also on display! As a typical Fine Arts Museum, it would take several hours to see each and every painting here if you're into Art History or Fine Arts!
Museo di Antichita (Antiquity Musuem):
Antiquity Museum, as the name suggests, is the section dedicated to ancient Greek & Roman sculptures, Mesapotomian seals, Greek vases, Roman mosaics, reconstructed parts of the Roman Theatre, pottery shards, and more.
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Sale Chiablese (Chiablese Room):
Sale Chiablese hosts temporary exhibitions & events from time to time and is
closed otherwise. I did not get to visit Chiablese Room! If there's an
exhibition/event happening when you visit, your ticket to Musei Reali most
often includes the ticket to Sale Chiablese.
Giardini Reale (Royal Gardens):
Though the Royal Gardens are in the Musei Reali area, they are free to enter & not ticketed which also means that it can get pretty crowded depending on the weather. As soon as you enter the Musei Reali area, if you skip the ticketing office, straight ahead is the Duke's Garden (Giardino del Duca). This is perhaps the most structured and has a French Garden style. Just beside it is the Il Boschetto Garden which is a mix of larger trees & smaller plants but still in a geometric pattern. In front of it is the Garden of the Arts (Giardino delle Arti). The specialty here is the huge fountain called the Fountain of the Nereides and Tritons (Fontana delle Nereide e Tritoni) sculpted by Simone Martinez in 1755. Unlike Chateau de Fontainbleau, it is very much possible to quickly walk through all these gardens; it isn't too extensive.
Where is Musei Reali Torino - Royal Museums of Turin (on Google Maps): Musei Reali di Torino
How to reach Musei Reali Torino - Royal Museums of Turin? 1.2km from Turin Railway Station. It is located right in the heart of Piazza Castello
Map of Musei Reali Torino - Royal Museums of Turin - via Musei Reali (image file)
Musei Reali Torino - Royal Museums of Turin ticket: €15
Musei Reali Torino - Royal Museums of Turin timings: Tue to Sun 9:00AM to 7:00PM (last entry at 6:00PM)
Giardini Reale Torino - Royal Gardens of Turin timings: Tue to Sun 8:30AM to 5:00PM
Musei Reali Torino - Royal Museums of Turin Guide book (in Italian) - via Musei Reali (downloads/opens as PDF)
PALAZZO MADAMA (MADAME PALACE)
Palazzo Madama is located just in front of Musei Reali at Piazzo Castello
(Castle Square). The most majestic part of Palazzo Madama is its staircase which was featured in the movie 'The Italian Job'! Today, Palazzo Madama houses Turin's Municipal Museum of Ancient Art. Palazzo Madama is about half as extensive as Musei Reali but I had hardly 45 mins here, so it was very quick trip to see the most important spots within Palazzo Madama museum.
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The famous staircase as seen in The Italian Job movie
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Tower with Panoramic View:
Since I only had 45 minutes, I quickly headed to the top floor which has a panoramic viewpoint. The view of Castle Square (Piazza Castello). To see the Royal Palace from atop was nice. The view of the dome of the Chapel of Holy Shroud and the Mole (National Museum of Cinema) from an eye level was interesting. I was lucky that I had tele-lens which I used as binoculars to see the dome of the Chapel of Holy Shroud up close.
1st floor & Underground Floor:
Then I got down to the 1st floor and quickly browsed through the halls. The 1st room I stopped by was the Feast Hall and headed in both directions from here to the North Verandah and South Verandah from where the view of the Grand Staircase was perfect.
Next, I went further down to the underground floor which has a gorgeous Medieval Garden. This garden was set up in 1402! Today it is in many sections, each dedicated to vegetables, herbs, flowers, wooded areas, etc. It is also awesome that from here you see the Palazzo Madama from the ground up!
Ground Floor:
The ground floor was dedicated to renaissance art. I particularly loved how they had animated a painting on a digital display, much like Mudia Museums in Redu in Belgium.
While there's much more in Palazzo Madama, my 45 mins was up and it was closing time here, so I had to head out. Set aside about 1:30 hours for Palazzo Madama for a quick walk through and more if you like history & art.
Where is Palazzo Madama (on Google Maps): Palazzo Madama
How to reach Palazzo Madama? 1.2km from Turin Railway Station. It is located right in the heart of Piazza Castello
Palazzo Madama ticket: €10
Palazzo Madama timings: Tuesday closed. Thursday: 1:00PM to 9:00PM. Otherdays 10:00AM to 06:00PM.
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View of the dome of the Chapel from atop Palazzo Madama
Castello del Valentino at night!
Palazzo Carignano - Museum of the Risorgimento (Italian Unification)
View of Basilica di Superga (the last resting place of many from the Royal Family of Savoy) from atop Mole Antonelliano
PALAZZO CARIGNANO & CASTELLO DEL VALENTINO
While walking around the town of Turin, I did stop in front of Palazzo Carignano which
currently houses the Museum of the Risorgimento (Italian Unification).
Unfortunately, with the lack of time, I skipped visiting the museum.
Later that evening, while heading to Circolo Eridano for dinner, I did
stop at Castello del Valentino for a minute to take a look. The current
architecture is attributed to Princess Christine of France. Today,
Castello del Valentino is often termed as a mini version of, Turin's version
of Chateau de Versailles! It currently houses the Architecture faculty of
Turin Polytechnic University and is not open to public visits.
Where is Palazzo Carignano (Museum of the Risorgimento) (on Google Maps): Museo Nazionale del Risorgimento Italiano
How to reach Palazzo Carignano (Museum of the Risorgimento)? 600m (7 mins walk) from Musei Reali
Palazzo Carignano (Museum of the Risorgimento) ticket: €10
Palazzo Carignano (Museum of the Risorgimento) timings: Tue to Sun: 10:00AM to 6:00PM (last entry at 5:00PM)
Where is Castello del Valentino (on Google Maps): Castello del Valentino
How to reach Castello del Valentino? Located about 3km from Musei Reali. Bus 8 or Tram 16 CD connects the 2.
TORINO PIEMONTE CARD
Musei Reali, Palazzo Madama, Museum of the Risorgimento, and many more museums,
castles, palaces, abbeys, and more are included in the Torino Piemonte Card.
What's the price of Torino Piemonte Card? 5 types are available from €29.00 for 24 hours to €49.00 for 120 hours (5 days)
Where to buy Torino Piemonte Card? Via Get Your Guide links below or Turismo Torino Official website
Is it worth buying Torino Piemonte Card? Totally worth it for adults, even if it is for 1 day! Visiting Musei Reali, Palazzo Madama & National Museum of Cinema alone would cost €36 separately, which costs only €29 with the Torino Piemonte Card. However, if you're under the age of 18 it may not be worth it as most museums provide free/reduced admission.
HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU NEED TO VISIT MUSEI REALI?
For a very quick touristy Musei Reali visit, just to browse through the various rooms & galleries, set aside 2-3 hours.
Otherwise, it entirely depends on your interest area and physical strength! If you're interested in history, architecture, or fine arts, or if you like to walk around the beautiful gardens, you could easily spend several hours or an entire day here!
TURIN ITINERARIES
1 day Turin Itinerary (One day in Turin): Musei Reali (a quick visit), Palazzo Madama, Porta Palatine, National Museum of Cinema, and walk around the city.
2 days Turin Itinerary (Two days in Turin):
Day 1 - Musei Reali (half day visit), Palazzo Madama, Porta Palatine
Day 2 - National Museum of Automobile or Egyptian Museum, then National Museum of Cinema, and walk around the city.
HOW TO REACH TURIN
Turin has an airport (TRN - Aeroporto di Torino-Caselle) which is well
connected by low-cost airlines like Ryan Air, Wizz Air, EasyJet, Air Dolomiti,
etc as well as some mainstream airlines like Air France, British Airways, etc
as well.
The nearest major airport is Milan Malpensa (MXP) which is about 150km from
Turin. Torino (Turin) to Milan Malpensa Airport shuttle buses are operated
by Autostradale and Flixbus. Another option would be to take a train to Milan (Milano
Centrale Railway Station) and another train to Torino (Turin). In either cases
it takes about 2:00 to 2:15 hours from Milan Airport to reach Turin City
Centre.
MY PIEMONTE TRAVELOGUE
Click the links below to read my other travel articles on Piemonte
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Oh wow! I think it's amazing that the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist has Christ's shroud. That's so interesting that it ended up in Italy! Also, I wholeheartedly agree with you that no matter where you visit, you need to be respectful of dress codes and religions. Agree or disagree, you're on their turf, whether it's a Christian church in Italy or a temple in India. Thank you for that reminder!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post about the residences of the Royal House of Savoy! I also spent two nights in Turino this summer. Unfortunately I was there on a Monday and the Palazzo Reale was closed. However I could visit the libraray, the Palazzo Madama and of course I went to see the shroud too! I really feel that Turin is one of this underrated cities in Italy. I definitely want to go back and explore more. We also spend a half day at the Egyptian Museum there, what is the second biggest in the world, after the Egyptian museum in Cairo.
ReplyDeleteThat's an interesting information about the shroud that I've ever read. I guess for some people, even looking at the vault only will give them a special feeling. I think I will have a neck problem after visiting the Royal House of Savoy. The frescoes and the paintings on the ceiling made me awe and speechless. Everything looks exceptionally beautiful! And what a genius was Guarino Guarini to build the Dome of the Cathedral unique like that.
ReplyDeleteTurin has long been on my places to see in Italy. I had not yet researched what to see and so this article enlightened me as to what needs to be top of the list. As an UNESCO site, with 14 buildings to visit, I can see how this does need a little planning. I would want to visit the library. They are buildings that are often underrated by tourists.
ReplyDeleteEverything about Turin looks beautiful in the pictures. I would love to see Indostan and the sculpture of Mahisasur Mardini there. The artwork is spellbinding. I would like to see the panoramic view from the tower too. Good, you mentioned the tele-lens and the binoculars. I guess these would be a must-have for this trip.
ReplyDeleteTurin is on my bucket list, as I dream of visiting the Residences of the Royal House of Savoy, its incredible pieces of art, and historical significance as the House of Savoy led the Italian unification. It's impressive that 14 sites are listed under UNESCO; I think a week might be too short to see. The Royal Command Zone and Dome of the Cathedral are so impressive. Also, I would love to visit Royal Library to see some books and self-portrait of Leonardo da Vinci. I appreciate all your tips regarding prices, opening hours, and how to reach each place.
ReplyDeleteWow! This place is amazing. The dining hall is fascinating and love all the intricate details. Very impressive. Happy to know that this has been declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and would love to visit the Residences of the Royal House of Savoy in the future.
ReplyDeleteLove your detailed blog post with tips and prices on the royal residences of Savoy and its historical significance. In order to go through the 14 sites listed under UNESCO, it would take a few days. I would love to go here someday and spend sometime peacefully in the library to read more into the history. The Royal Command Zone and Dome of the Cathedral truly look impressive. Good tip to carry binocs. :-)
ReplyDeleteThese are such architectural marvels. Those chandeliers are eye-catching. Beautifully captured pictures. Love the details in the post. I would like to explore Turin. Bookmarking the post for my future trip to Italy!
ReplyDelete