Guide to the Venaria Reale: what to see and what to do
The Venaria Reale is undoubtedly one of the most important artistic-architectural sites in all Europe, especially since it reopened its doors in 2007, after the imposing almost ten-year restoration, and showed the world one of the highest expressions of Italian and non-Italian Baroque. alone.
A total of 80,000 square meters of building and 60 hectares of garden were declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1997.
The history of the Savoy Royal Palace
The Royal Palace was born in 1658 by the will of Carlo Emanuele II, the beloved Duke of Savoy, passionate about hunting who, even before coming to power and devoting himself to the more serious matters deriving from his role, began the works to build the monumental building, the main nucleus of La Venaria Reale, the gardens and the entire small village which in the following years gave life to Venaria, commissioning the works to the architect Amedeo di Castellamonte.
It was Vittorio Amedeo II, the son of the late Duke, however, who decided to expand the paternal project by putting the project in the hands of Filippo Juvarra: the Galleria Grande was built, which connected the King’s apartment to that of the heir to the throne, the Chapel of Sant’Uberto, a large Greek cross building with circular chapels on the diagonals, the Citroniera, the ancient greenhouse created for the shelter of citrus fruits and the Royal Stables, the current exhibition centers for the numerous exhibitions that are set up.
Venaria Reale thus became one of the masterpieces of European Baroque, as well as the Palace of the new King of Sicily, a title that Vittorio Amedeo II managed to conquer after having rebelled and defeated the French armies.
It can be said that the beginning of the decline took place at the beginning of the nineteenth century when after the arrival of Napoleon the Royal Palace was downgraded to barracks and the gardens were wildly leveled to make it a square for military exercises. A decline that does not stop and returns at the beginning of the second millennium a masterpiece now looted by vandals and in a state of complete abandonment.
The restoration we mentioned at the beginning, strongly desired by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and supported by the European Community, was the largest conservative restoration that has been undertaken in Europe and has brought to light not only the wall structures of the building and gardens but also marvelous stuccos, spectacular frescoes and many details that show the tourist the representation of a real European Court of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, in addition to the numerous exhibitions and tour itineraries that also include shows, concerts and prestigious food and wine events.
What to see at the Royal Palace of Venaria Reale
The tour of the Royal Palace opens with the grandiose Court of Honor which welcomes the visitor in all its magnificence by presenting the wonderful Water Theater of the Cervo Fountain which with its 100 water nozzles up to 12 meters high, colored vapors and ducts represent one of the most impressive and largest fountains in the world. Continuing, you have access to the ground floor where it is possible to admire faithfully reconstructed rooms evocative of that Court atmosphere that characterized the life of the Savoy family, undoubtedly one of the most significant not only for Italian history but for Europe too.
Going up to the main floor you can visit the royal apartments, the marvelous seventeenth-century Sala di Diana, carefully brought to light thanks to the restoration, in which there are ten canvases by Jan Miel with a hunting theme, and the entire ceremonial path of the ancient eighteenth-century palace that it passes through the Galleria Grande, the Rondò Alfieriano and leads to the Chapel of Sant’Uberto. More than 500 works that can be admired, including paintings, sculptures, tapestries, furniture, silver objects and furnishings of extraordinary value, walk through the corridors of La Reggia and you will be transported into an atmosphere as luxurious as it is ancient.
In the apartment of Princess Ludovica, also on the main floor, it is possible to admire a permanent exhibition of seventeenth-century paintings by great masters such as Guercino, Rubens, van Dyck and Guido Reni; in the Regia Scuderia, on the other hand, a Bucintoro is on display, the transport ark with which the Doges of Venice were brought, built by Vittorio Amedeo II by Venetian master craftsmen; finally, on the upper floors of the Diana Palace, there are the Sale delle Arti, sumptuous museum spaces where many temporary exhibitions are hosted throughout the year.
The gardens of Venaria Reale
Not to be overlooked are the spectacular and surprising Gardens, completely returned to life after the great restoration. Thanks to a long canal that marks the border, they divide into Parco Alto and Parco Basso and offer the visitor breathtaking views, excellent landscape scenarios and even opportunities for fun.
In the Lower Park, there is the Potager Royal, which is a vegetable garden and an orchard of about 10 hectares whose products, sauces, sweets, jams, mustards, are on sale in the various refreshment points located in the structure and can be visited with a nice little train. that will entertain even the little ones. The Parco Alto, on the other hand, can be explored with a carriage pulled by two horses and the canal that divides the two sections can be navigated with the gondolas of Hercules and Diana.
Useful information for visiting the Royal Palace of Venaria Reale
The Venaria Reale
Where: Piazza della Repubblica 4 – 10078 – Venaria Reale (TO) How to book: purchase tickets on-site or on the official website. When: from Tuesday to Sunday; Mondays are closed, except for any public holidays. N.B. La Venaria Reale is closed from February 20th to March 18th. Hours: the Palace from Tuesday to Friday from 9:00 to 17:00 and Saturday / Sunday / holidays from 9:00 to 18:30; the Gardens have different hours based on the time of year. Ticket cost:
- “All in a Palace”: full € 25.00, family offer € 1.00 for each child / teenager up to 15 years accompanied by two adults who have purchased a full ticket. N.B. the ticket includes admission to the Palace, Gardens and Exhibitions plus a series of discounts and agreements on the services offered within the structure;
- Palace / Gardens / Juvarriana Stable: full € 20.00, reduced € 12.00 / 18.00;
- Palace and Gardens: full € 16.00, reduced € 10.00 / 14.00;
- Giardini: full € 5.00, reduced € 4.00 / 2.00;
- La Gondola on the Peschiera: full € 2.00, reduced € 1.00;
- La Freccia di Diana (train): full € 4.00, reduced € 3.00, free up to 3 years;
- Horse carriage: full € 4.00, reduced € 3.00, free up to 3 years.
How to get there
By car. Take the Turin ring road A55 northbound and exit at “Venaria” or “Savonera”. Then continue on the roads for about 10 kilometers following the signs. It is advisable to leave the vehicle in the “Castellamonte”, “Carlo Emanuele II” or “Juvarra” car parks. By bus. There are dedicated lines that connect Turin to Venaria managed by the Torinese Trasporti Group.
Alternatively, it is possible to take line C of the City Sightseeing tour buses on which a multilingual audio digital audio system illustrating the places is also available. On the train. The Reggia di Venaria can be reached with line A of the Turin Metropolitan Railway Service. The closest airport is the “Sandro Pertini” of Caselle, from which it is possible to reach Venaria with line A of the SFM or via the ring road.
