Reggia di Venaria Reale

The Reggia di Venaria Reale is a royal palace and garden complex at Venaria Reale, just north-west of Turin, Piedmont, Italy. Duke Charles Emmanuel II began it in 1675 as a hunting lodge, with the name Venaria deriving from the Latin venatio, the hunt. The architect Amedeo di Castellamonte designed the first nucleus, and in the 18th century Michelangelo Garove, Filippo Juvarra and Benedetto Alfieri extended it. Juvarra's contributions include the Galleria Grande and the Chiesa di Sant'Uberto, as well as the Great Stables.

The palace declined after the Napoleonic period and was used as a barracks for much of the 19th and 20th centuries. A restoration programme that began in the 1990s and ended with the reopening in 2007 repaired the buildings and gardens. It is among the largest restoration projects in Europe, and the complex was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997 as part of the Residences of the Royal House of Savoy.

The visit covers the Reggia, with its Sala di Diana, the Galleria Grande and the Chapel of Sant'Uberto, the Citta di Diana exhibits and the Scuderie Juvarriane, which host temporary exhibitions. The permanent displays use projections and immersive installations to present the history of the Savoy court and hunting culture, together with historic rooms and a seasonal programme of art shows. The Gardens extend over a large area, with a reconstructed 17th-century layout, fountains, a rose garden and an orchard.

Beyond the palace lies the Parco della Mandria, a former royal hunting estate. Admission is about EUR 20 for the full ticket, with reduced EUR 8 for ages 6-18 and university students under 26. The site is reached by train and bus from Turin, and hours are seasonal, so check lavenaria.it or phone +39 011 4992333.