Italy
Residences of the Royal House of Savoy
The Residences of the Royal House of Savoy represent the 17th and 18th-century building programme of this dynasty of absolute monarchs.
The Dukes of Savoy moved their court to Turin in 1562. Using their family wealth, successive dukes initiated construction and expansion programmes with an eye for town planning and overall cohesion. They left a testimony to Baroque art and architecture.
Community Perspective: Turin doesn’t get much praise (except for its Egyptian Museum and the Mole Antonelliana), and the interiors of many of these Savoy residences are nowadays filled with mildly interesting exhibits. Try to visit at least a building in Turin’s city centre (Palazzo Reale or Palazzo Madama) and one of the hunting residences in Piedmont (Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi is a convenient and beautiful choice).
Site Info
Official Information
- Full Name
- Residences of the Royal House of Savoy (ID: 823)
- Country
- Italy
- Status
-
Inscribed 1997
Site history
History of Residences of the Royal House of Savoy
- 1997: Revision
- Extended from former TWHS Torino - le dimore sabaude (1984) (which in itself includes the two former TWHS from 1982 Venaria reale and parts of Turin historic centre), and includes former TWHS of Stupingi
- 1997: Inscribed
- Inscribed
- WHS Type
- Cultural
- Criteria
- i
- ii
- iv
- v
Links
- UNESCO
- whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org
- whc.unesco.org — whc.unesco.org/
Related Resources
- residenzerealisabaude.com — Royal Residences
News Article
- Oct. 22, 2019 euronews.com — Turin firefighters handle blaze at Cavallerizza Reale
- April 8, 2008 whc.unesco.org — Castello di Moncalieri, one of the Residences of the Royal House of Savoy, severely damaged by fire
- Oct. 19, 2007 usatoday.com — The palace of Venaria Reale, built by the Savoy dynasty just outside Turin, underwent eight years of works in a $284 million restoration project.
Community Information
- Community Category
- Secular structure: Residence
Travel Information
Piedmont Hotspot
Recent Connections
-
Perfect Inscriptions
1997 -
Network of European Royal Residences
Royal Palace of Turin -
Built or owned by French
Castello del Valentino: "The current st…
Connections of Residences of the Royal House of Savoy
- Individual People
-
-
King Chulalongkorn of Siam (Rama V)
(1 June) stayed in Turin Royal Palace -
Naser ed-Din Shah
In Turin: "After breakfast the Sovereign came and we went together to the armoury that is in the palace. There were large numbers of weapons, ancient and modern, such as Persian swords on which were inscribed verses of Persian poetry in letters of gold;"
-
- Trivia
-
-
Built or owned by French
Castello del Valentino: "The current structure is due to Princess Christine of France"See en.wikipedia.org
-
- History
-
-
Located in a Former Capital
Turin, the first capital of unified Italy
-
- Architecture
-
-
French (formal) garden
Royal Residence Garden -
English garden
Agliè garden -
Brick architecture
Palazzo Carignano, Castello del Valentino and courtyard of Palazzo Reale -
Gothic Revival
Castle in Pollenzo -
Designed by André Le Nôtre
Racconigi -
Baroque
As a result of the impetus of Emmanuel-Philibert, his successors developed a vast building programme throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, giving the town and its region a Baroque style, the pivot of which is the residences. (AB ev)
-
- Damaged
-
-
Cultural sites damaged by fire since inscription
Castello di Moncalieri - April 2008
-
- World Heritage Process
-
-
Perfect Inscriptions
1997 -
WHC locations
Naples (1997) -
Extended from original TWHS
Originally only those in Turin -
Derived from more than one TWHS
From former TWHS Torino le dimore sabaude - & Stupingi
-
- Human Activity
-
-
Hunting Lodge or Castle
Palazzina di caccia of Stupinigi -
Armouries
royal armoury -
Gilded Lacquer or Urushi
Chinese Room of Turin Royal Palace is decorated with black and gold lacquer -
Mints
-
Paintings by Venetian Vedutisti
Turin (Bellotto) -
Grand Tour
-
Vineyards
Villa della Regina's Vineyard -
Man-made Terraces
Villa della Regina's Terrace Garden
-
- Constructions
-
-
Loggia
At the Royal Armoury -
Sites of Parliament
Carignano Palace Italian Parliament 1861-1864 -
Horse Stables
-
Theatres and Opera Houses
Teatro Regio -
Equestrian Statues
Several, including two at the entrance gate to the Palazzo Reale
-
- WHS on Other Lists
-
-
Network of European Royal Residences
Royal Palace of Turin -
Most beautiful villages
Agliè with its castle is among the Bandiere arancioni ('orange flags') by the Touring Club Italiano
-
- Timeline
-
-
Built in the 17th century
comprehensive overview of European monumental architecture in the 17th and 18th centuries (criteria i, ii, iv en v)
-
- WHS Hotspots
-
-
Piedmont Hotspot
In Turin
-
- Science and Technology
-
-
Libraries
Royal Library
-
News
- euronews.com 10/22/2019
- Turin firefighters handle blaze at…
- whc.unesco.org 04/08/2008
- Castello di Moncalieri, one of the…
- usatoday.com 10/19/2007
- The palace of Venaria Reale, built…
Recent Visitors
Visitors of Residences of the Royal House of Savoy
- 4lex
- Adrian Lakomy
- Afshin Iranpour
- Alessandro Votta
- Alexander Barabanov
- Alexander Lehmann
- Alfons and Riki Verstraeten
- alicemears
- Alvaro1404
- A. Mehmet Haksever
- Ammon Watkins
- Argo
- Ari Kailash
- Aspasia
- Astraftis
- Atila Ege
- Babbil
- Babbil59
- BaziFettehenne
- BeyondMonkey
- Bill Maurmann
- Bin
- Brendan Carroll
- butterflybird
- Camelopardus
- CampbellME
- Carlos Garrido
- Caspar Dechmann
- Cezar Grozavu
- chenboada
- chenqtao
- Chen Taotao
- Cheryl
- Christer Sundberg
- Christian Wagner
- Christoph
- Christravelblog
- Clyde
- cmtcosta
- Craig Harder
- Cristina Erba
- Csaba Nováczky
- CugelVance
- CyBeRr
- dachangjin3
- dana144
- Daniela Hohmann
- Daniel C-Hazard
- Danny L
- Dan Pettigrew
- David Berlanda
- David Pastor de la Orden
- Deffra
- Dimitar Krastev
- Dirk-pieter
- Dwight Zehuan Xiao
- Elia Vettorato
- Elis
- Els Slots
- emvcaest
- Erfe91
- Erik G
- Eva Kisgyorgy
- Fabian Teusch
- fabi-ddorf
- Fan Yibo
- Farinelli
- Feldhase
- Flexiear
- Fmaiolo@yahoo.com
- fmannucci
- Frederik Dawson
- Gary Arndt
- George Evangelou
- George Gdanski
- GeorgeIng61
- Gernot
- Hadrianus
- Harald T.
- Harry Mitsidis
- Hasco
- henrik_hannfors
- homadism
- Hubert
- Iain Jackson
- Ilya Burlak
- Ingemar Eriksson
- Ivan Rucek
- Jaakkotoivanen
- Jakob Frenzel
- Janina Lehmann
- Jan-Willem
- Jarek Pokrzywnicki
- Jasam
- Jawnbeary
- Jean Lecaillon
- Jeanne OGrady
- Jens
- Jezza
- João Aender
- Joel on the Road
- john booth
- John Smaranda
- Johnson Zhao
- Jonas Hagung
- Jonas Kremer
- Jon Opol
- Joshuakirbens
- JoStof
- Junwang111
- Justin
- KAO
- Kbecq
- Kelly Henry
- Ken DJ
- Khuft
- Klara Woodson
- Klaus Freisinger
- Knut
- Krzysztof B
- Kurt Lauer
- la caperucita roja
- La Concy
- Lado Joel
- Lara Adler
- Laurine
- LaVale
- Leontine Helleman
- Liamps91
- lindaann
- Linda Sereno
- Linz
- Lisu Marian
- Loic Pedras
- Luboang
- Lucio Gorla
- Luis Filipe Gaspar
- luisfreire
- Lukas_PV
- Maciej Gil
- marcel staron
- Martina Rúčková
- Marton Kemeny
- Mateusz
- MAURO PODDA PANI
- Max
- MaxHeAnouBen
- MaYumin
- MH
- MichaelH
- Michael Novins
- Michael Turtle
- Mikko
- MMM
- Mohboh
- Monica Tasciotti
- MoPython
- nan
- Nasebaer
- Nick M
- Nihal Ege
- Paczeterson
- Pascal Cauliez
- Pasha Globus
- patphilly
- Patrik
- Paul Schofield
- Peltzi
- Peter Lööv
- Philipp Leu
- Philipp Peterer
- phillipmeng
- Pieter Dijkshoorn
- Pink Bunny
- Piotr Wasil
- Potsdamer
- Rafał Kałczuga
- Randi Thomsen
- Reza
- Riccardo Quaranta
- Riomussafer
- rivr
- Robin Frank
- RobRos
- rogerding
- Roger Ourset
- Roman Bruehwiler
- Roman Koeln
- Sabrina Liebehentschel
- Schnitzel
- Sergio Arjona
- Shandos Cleaver
- SHIHE HUANG
- SirLoydd
- Slavi
- Solivagant
- Sophie
- Stanislaw Warwas
- stephanvermeulen
- Stetrab
- Stijn
- Svein Elias
- Szucs Tamas
- Tarquinio_Superbo
- Thibault Magnien
- thisispivi
- Thomas Buechler
- Thomas van der Walt
- TimAllen
- tommasorossotti
- tony0001
- triath
- Truls Brekke
- Tschibi
- Tsunami
- Twobaconsandaboston
- UncleSlavi
- usagi1974
- Vanessa Buechler
- Vicente B. Avanzado Jr.
- VLabhard
- Walter
- Werner Huber
- WILLIAM RICH
- Wojciech Fedoruk
- wrung24
- Xiong Wei
- Xiquinho Silva
- Yevhen Ivanovych
- Zach
- Zoë Sheng
Community Reviews
Show full reviews
Oh dear! Italy and its serial World Heritage Sites: 14 Savoy Residences, 9 Sacri Monti, 25 Palladio sites, 14 Medici Villas, 7 Longobards locations… Not to mention all the prehistoric and nuragic sites in Sardinia or the countless historic theatres of the Marche region still waiting on the tentative list. Of course it's not just Italy, many countries have this kind of WHS where I would say: Less would be more. But the north-west corner of Italy seems to be a hotspot for this. On my trip through Lombardy and Piedmont in June 2023 I couldn't help but think of our friend Iain and his rule that he doesn't tick off a WHS until he has visited 50% + 1 locations. WHS hunting can be challenging, even in Central Europe.
That said, I have to admit that I visited 12 of the 14 locations, but most of them only from the outside. I travelled by rental car, so it was far less time-consuming than by public transport. The majority of the palaces around Turin are more or less on the way to or from other WHS.
Visiting European palaces is not one of my favourite activities when travelling. But you can hardly visit a WHS like the Savoy Residences properly without stepping into at least one of them. I ended up visiting the interiors of three palaces. As with most visitors, my first choice was the Musei Reali in the Command Area in Turin. The Command Area is a …
Keep reading 0 comments
Early July 2020, I stayed in a Piedmonte countryside apartment near Turin for a week and visited all the buildings included in the inscription.
At the tourist office in Turin, I bought the 'Royal Card Torino' which costs €35 and is valid for 7 days, a substantial saving on the regular entrance fees. In addition to the palaces in Turin and Piedmonte, it includes also access to the rooftop of the Superga Basilica and a tour of the Royal Tombs below the Basilica, which are an interesting addition to the palaces. The Royal apartments at Superga were closed.
With a bit of advance planning I could visit all the places within this week, though many had limited opening hours due to Covid-19 and most had to be reserved in advance, either via mail or online.
At La Reggia di Venaria I was able to visit an open air modern dance performance which was moving, followed by a poetry reading in Italian. The next day I went to visit the apartments at La Venaria, followed by a visit to La Mandria which is at the back of La Venaria. However, it is quite a walk along the fence of La Venaria gardens towards La Mandria, in hindsight it would have been better to drive to the entrance of the estate on which La Mandria is located. Due to the long walk, I missed the reserved timeslot for the visit but this turned out to be no problem as …
Keep reading 0 commentsIlya Burlak
Residences Of The Royal House Of Savoy
Residences of the Royal House of Savoy (Inscribed)

While in Turin for a single day in November of 2018, I managed to see Palazzo Madama, walked around Zona di Commando, and stopped by Palazzo Reale and Palazzo Carignano without stepping inside. My initial plan was actually to visit all three of these palaces that are located very close to each other, but other priorities and a desire to remain outside on a reasonably sunny day took precedence.
Palazzo Madama is so called because its 17-18th-century decorations and enhancements were ordered by two queens of the house of Savoy. It holds a historical distinction of having been the first Senate of the Italian Kingdom, but has long been converted to a museum. There is a floor devoted to religious art, another one hosting a large exhibition of porcelain, and a floor of formal royal apartments. All not without interest but far from must-see. In addition, one of the towers of the palace can be ascended for views over town.
Several sources suggested to me ahead of time that exhibitions of the Royal Palace are at best middling. I still would have spent time on it if not for inexplicably long and slow line to the ticket counter when I first reached it. So I took a glimpse at the gardens (nothing too special to catch the eye) and decided to try again later in the day. And then never did.
I also stopped by Palazzo Carignano which has the most elaborate façade of the three, contrasted …
Keep reading 0 commentsNan
Residences Of The Royal House Of Savoy By Nan
Residences of the Royal House of Savoy (Inscribed)

Even in a country filled with world class sites like no other, with a large backlog of well deserving sites on the tentative list, you will find the occasional dud. A bit surprisingly these are concentrated in the Piedmont region.
Having been to Turin before I could never quite make up my mind if I had actually visited the palaces. I only recall the splendid stair case of Palazzo Reale and the rather pricey tickets that came along with it. I was a poor student at the time and may have decided against entering.
This time around I visited the Palazzo Reale, the Piazza Castello, the Palazzo Madama and the Borgo Medievale. Across the river I could also catch a view of the Villa della Regina. The highlight to me was the Royal Armory in the Palazzo Reale. But to be frank, none of them really made much of an impression on me. I also question why this had to be a serial nomination.
Meanwhile Turin is a really pleasant and nice city with visible French and Swiss influences. I loved strolling the streets and would have preferred a site focused on Turin the Capital instead.
Getting There
Turin has an international airport. By train you can connect to Milan to the East, Genova to the South and to the Aorta Valley and from there to Chamonix to the North.
The nearest WHS are the underwhelming Vineyards of Piedmont. …
Keep reading 0 commentsKlaus Freisinger
Residences Of The Royal House Of Savoy
Residences of the Royal House of Savoy (Inscribed)

For over 2 centuries, the monarchs of the Savoy dynasty spent their treasure on a huge series of Baroque palaces in and around their capital of Turin. I'm normally not a huge fan of Baroque architecture, but I enjoyed this site very much - each building is really interesting, most are quite beautiful, and they complement each other really well. Also, most were renovated quite recently after being neglected or closed for a long time. As individual buildings, no palace probably would have been inscribed on the list (maybe with the exception of Venaria), but as an ensemble, I daresay there is probably no equal for them (and I am from a country full of Baroque architecture). In Turin itself, I visited the great Palazzo Reale with the Royal Armoury, the Palazzo Madama with its impressive staircase (the museum collection is not so great, but the historic garden and the view from the tower shouldn't be missed), the Palazzo Carignano (housing a reasonably interesting museum on the Italian independence wars), and the Castello del Valentino on the banks of the Po (basically just from the outside, as it houses a university institute). In the surroundings of Turin, I visited the huge Venaria Palace in the suburb of Venaria Reale (a shuttle bus takes you there), which resembles Versailles in its style and dimensions (the Grand Gallery is the most impressive part), then the Castle of Rivoli (the least interesting and least beautiful; it now houses a museum of modern art), …
Keep reading 0 comments
My trek along Turin’s palaces started badly. I arrived at the Palazzo Reale at its opening hour of 8.30 a.m., but was not able to enter because the ticket office could not give me change back. A 50 EUR note proved to be too large to pay a 10 EUR entrance fee. They don’t accept debit or credit cards either, so I was sent away to try and change at the coffee shop. Which also would not let me. After that, I was fed up with the unfriendly welcome, and decided to boycott the place. If you see a foreign tourist coming in through thick snow, can´t you just make it work somehow?
Things brightened up considerably when I entered the hallway of the nearby Palazzo Madama. It has a fabulous staircase, which is free to enter. It gave me the first (and last) wow!-moment of this WHS. A bit further south lies the Palazzo Carignano. This has a full brick façade, pretty remarkable. The main courtyard is totally made out of brick too.
Finally, I entered the Palazzo Madama, where the entrance costs another 10 EUR. Exhibitions cover 4 floors of this historical building, which is an extension of a medieval castle. Most of the interior is pretty plain, especially compared to the magnificent Juvarra staircase downstairs. The walls are covered by art from late medieval times to renaissance and baroque. Captions are in Italian only, though it is not very hard to understand the omnipresent ´Madonna …
Keep reading 0 comments
I visited this WHS in September 2007. When Emmanuel-Philibert, Duke of Savoy, moved his capital to Turin in 1562, he began a vast series of building projects (continued by his successors) to demonstrate the power of the ruling house. The Royal Palace is a true gem of Turin and well worth a visit.
Keep reading 0 commentsJohn Booth
Residences Of The Royal House Of Savoy
Residences of the Royal House of Savoy (Inscribed)

In Turin I was unprepared for the magnitude of the Piazza Castello, with musicians, buskers and a brass band providing entertainment. Around this expanse of paving were most of the buildings included in the WHS including the Palazzo Madama and the more staid Palazzo Reale. Other buildings were to be found in the adjacent streets.
A short distance away, on a hill to the east was the Villa della Regina, reached by bus #56. The Castello del Valentino, beside the Po river was reached by bus #34.
Further away from Turin I visited the Castello di Racconigi and Castello di Moncalieri both large brick buildings and both reached by trains from Porta Nova station.
Pollenzo estate, now the university of food sciences, is reached by bus #2 from Bra.
Venaria Reale and its Mandria hunting lodge cover a large area of countryside, are reached by the Venaria Express bus from Porta Nova station.
The crumbling Castello di Rivoli is reached by bus #36 from Paradiso metro station, then by navette up to the castle from where there is a fine view of Turin.
The Palace of Stupenigi, also in the middle of a huge park, is reached by bus #41 from Lingotto station.
The Castello di Aglie with its elaborately frescoed ballroom is reached by train from Porta Susa station to Rivarolo, then by bus to Aglie. This site is conveniently close to the Sacro Monte of Valperga.
Keep reading 0 commentsMonica Tasciotti
Residences Of The Royal House Of Savoy
Residences of the Royal House of Savoy (Inscribed)

On my last trip to Turin, I visited Palazzo Reale, Palazzo Madama, Venaria Reale and Castello di Rivoli with its Museum of Contemporary Art. I don’t love particularly Contemporary Art but the Castello is very pleasant, also thanks to the sunny spring weather on that day. You can eat outside the cafeteria enjoying the panorama but there’s also a very famous, elegant and expensive restaurant there (Sunday closed) if you can afford the price.
With a car, on the same day you can visit both Venaria (12€) and Rivoli (6.5€) since they are on the same direction. Venaria is one of the biggest Savoy residences but one part of the palace (the Scuderie Juvarriane) can be visited only on the occasion of big art expositions. Plants in the Gardens are still very young and the long Vasca (2.5km fountains) is under restoration but there you can get acquainted with the long history of the Savoy family. Rooms in Palazzo Reale are similar to many other royal palaces but there’s not much original furniture, in any case it still worth a visit. Go early in the morning when visiting this Palazzo since tours varies according to days and hours, so it can be difficult to visit all the apartments on the first and second floor and the kitchens (6.50/10€) on the same day. Don’t miss to take a look at the San Lorenzo Church outside and the cafeteria inside. Worth a visit Palazzo Madama with its Museum created after the visit …
Keep reading 0 comments
Castello Cassotto is a very impressive and intriguing royal hunting lodge in Southern Piedmont. It is undergoing renovation, like almost all the other palaces of the Savoys, but this one had not yet been ravaged by cleaners and refinishers when we toured it in Sept, 2005. It is deep in the woods off the main roads, and was the king's favorite hunting lodge. NONE of the many rooms in the palace have been touched since it was closed, and it looks it, dust and all, but that makes it all the more amazing to see. The willing but Italian-only guide took us throughout the palace, including the impressive royal chapel, the palace kichen, and the grounds in the rear that show some of the destruction wrought by Napolean's army. This residence is worth the 30 minute detour off the highway on a winding road through a beautiful forest. If you can find it, you may be only the second English-speaking tourists to see it EVER.
Keep reading 0 comments
Unfortunately, my experience with Torino was marred by terrible weather and the ongoing construction that precedes the arrival of the 2006 Winter Olympics in the city. On my trip, I visited the Palazzo Reale, Palazzo Madama (from the outside as it was under renovation), and the Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi (a royal hunting lodge outside of the city centre). The Palazzo Reale was underwhelming at first but proved in the end to be the equal of many other royal palaces in Europe; Stupinigi was also impressive although my desire to wander the grounds was deterred by the torrential rain. My explorations around the rest of Torino revealed an elegant city that presently bears the scars of massive development projects that are being rushed to completion in time to welcome the world for the Olympics. I hope I get the opportunity to visit Torino again to see the city at its best.
Keep reading 0 comments