The product of the largest restoration project in European history—an eight-year, €300 million endeavor—the Palace of Venaria reopened its doors on October 13, 2007. The massive Piedmontese estate was commissioned in 1658 by Duke Charles Emmanuel II, who sought to rival the Castle of Mirafiori built by his predecessor, Charles Emmanuel I. Purchasing the villages of Altessano Superiore and Inferiore from the Milanese Birago family, the Duke established his hunting base at the foot of the Valli di Lanzo, close to the game-rich woods of the Gran Paese. The estate's name derives directly from the Latin Venatio Regia (Royal Hunt). Collectively designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997 alongside other Savoy residences, the palace was awarded three Michelin stars in 2017.
What to see
Architect Amedeo di Castellamonte designed the complex as a miniature ideal city. Its circular layout mimics the collar of the Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation, while the iconographic program, celebrating the Duke as master of the natural world, was devised by Jesuit savant Emanuele Tesauro. The 17th-century core features the Palace of Diana, expanded to four levels with a belvedere between 1660 and 1663, and the twin church facades in the town square (1669). The early design shows the influence of late 16th-century Roman estates like Villa Borghese and Villa Mondragone. Following destruction by the French in 1693 and the 1706 Siege of Turin led by Louis d'Aubusson de La Feuillade, the Savoy court pivoted to French formal styles. Michelangelo Garove, consulting Versailles architect Robert de Cotte, built the southern pavilions and redesigned the grounds. However, the estate's Baroque masterpieces are the work of Filippo Juvarra, appointed in 1716: he created the magnificent Great Gallery with its elaborate marble decorations, the Great Stable, the Citroneria (1722–1727), and the Chapel of Saint Uberto. Benedetto Alfieri later rebuilt the clock tower in 1739 and added the Belvedere wing (1751) and indoor riding halls (1761). The monumental modern restoration recovered 240,000 square meters of buildings, 1,000 frescoes, and 9,500 square meters of stuccoes. The grounds, elected Italy's most beautiful public park in 2019, feature the Royal Alley, the 1710 English Garden, and a labyrinth installed by Juvarra in 1725 to replace the earlier Temple of Diana.
Visiting
Today, the palace ranks as Italy's seventh most visited state museum, drawing over a million visitors in 2018, and serves as a major exhibition space that hosted prominent events for the 150th anniversary of Italian unification in 2011. Walking through its immaculate halls, visitors might find it hard to picture its harsh military past. During the Napoleonic era, the gardens were destroyed to create a parade ground, and the original furnishings were scattered to Racconigi, Stupinigi, and Agliè. Until 1943, the complex functioned as an artillery base and a prestigious cavalry school where innovative riding and combat methods were developed. Following a brief scenic restoration in 1961, the palace fell into severe decay until art historian Federico Zeri highlighted its ruin on television, sparking the public outcry that eventually led to its salvation in 1978.
Our editors' tip
To grasp the urban experimentation that reportedly influenced Louis XIV’s plans for Versailles in 1669, approach the palace via the town's main street. Walking under the porticos completed by Castellamonte in 1679 reveals a perfectly straight axis that seamlessly connects the civilian town, the public square, the royal residence, and the gardens into one continuous perspective.