POLO REALE, Royal Palace State Rooms

Perhaps when you enter, the Royal Palace will seem a bit sober to you, almost monotonous. But as soon as you start exploring its halls, you'll be dazzled by the amount of decorations, furnishings, and valuable objects, almost all of which date back to between the 1600s and mid-1800s. Every room has reminders of the House of Savoy, fine furniture made by craftsmen in Piedmont, and relics of the Royal Collections: porcelain, tapestries, chandeliers, and clocks.

Take the 19th-century staircase up to the first floor, where you'll first see the state rooms, or "Parade Rooms", and then the King's private apartments.

Your tour begins in the Baroque Sala degli Svizzeri, or Swiss Hall, where a 17th-century frieze depicts the mythical Saxon ancestors of the Savoys. Look for the painting of Emanuele Filiberto at the Battle of San Quintino painted by the Venetian artist Palma il Giovane: it's important because after this battle, Emanuele Filiberto decided to move the capital of the Duchy of Savoy to Turin.

This hall has an entrance to a corridor that connects the Palace with the Chapel of the Shroud of Turin, which I'll tell you more about when we visit the Cathedral of Turin....