VENARIA REALE, History

The Palace of Venaria is surrounded by a huge garden that extends out into the land and turns into a natural forest: you can spend an entire day here wandering between art exhibits, monumental paths, great food and wine breaks, and long walks immersed in vegetation! A Piedmontese saying goes: "He who sees Turin and doesn't see Venaria sees the mother, but not the daughter".

Venaria was built in 1660 as a starting point for hunters heading to the nearby Mandria, or herd, estate. However, forty years later the enlargement works were interrupted because of the French siege.

At the beginning of the 18th century the Palace was radically re-conceived by the ambitious Victor Amadeus II, the first Savoy who could claim the title of "King". In fact, the ancient Duchy of Piedmont had become the Kingdom of Sardinia, and deserved buildings worthy of European capitals. Victor Amadeus II had a true architectural genius among his ranks: Filippo Juvarra from Messina. Thanks to him, the seventeenth-century villa became a superb palace....