Life at Court

Life at the Savoy court passed amid leisure and ceremonies in the sumptuous residences that surrounded the city, testifying to the magnificence of the House of Savoy. A few steps from the centre of Turin, surrounded by vineyards and elegant gardens, Villa della Regina and the Castle of Valentino were the favourite residences of duchesses, princesses and queens, while the Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi – one of the most extraordinary eighteenth-century estates in Europe and, since 1919, also the seat of the Furniture Museum – and the Reggia di Venaria are majestic examples of Baroque architecture used as hunting and leisure residences. On the other hand, the Castle of Rivoli – now a museum of contemporary art – and that of Moncalieri – recently reopened after the fierce fire broke out in 2008 – were initially built as strongholds for defensive purposes and later transformed into cosy "places of delight".