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THE place to visit if you are in Turin !
Indeed, it is the first and most important of the royal residences of the Maison de Savoie until 1865, spectacular heart of power and life of the court.
. The palace, as it appears today, was built on the initiative of Marie-Christine de France in 1646, because it had been very damaged by the city's siege in 1640. The work rehabilitated a first structure of 1559, wanted by Emmanuel-Philibert at the time when he transfered the capital of the Duchy of Savoie de Chambéry in Turin. This palace was the most important royal residence until 1865, the year when Victor-Emmanuel II moved the capital of the kingdom of Italy temporarily in Florence, then definitively in Rome. The interior decor illustrates the evolution of the taste of the family of Savoy from the 15th to the 19th century. From the 17th century in fact, the custom wanted the palace to be refreshed on the occasion of each royal marriage. Frescoes in trompe-l'oeil, gilding (masterful work of Piedmontese craftsmen), painted ceilings, a collection of clocks, the throne room, of course, and a precious "Chinese cabinet" designed by Filippo Juvarra are the centerpieces of the palace. Also essential, the Caffè Reale is a deliciously baroque tea room, in unison with the whole palace, where it is essential to stop to sip a bicerin or hot chocolate as if you were still in the court. The Palazzo Reale adjoins the chapel of the Holy Suaire, majestic setting designed for the "treasure" brought back from Chambéry during the transfer of capital. The works lasted twenty-two years, from 1668 to 1690. The precious relic will be installed there in 1694. The chapel underwent a fire twenty-five years ago, in 1997. The chapel was restored and found its original splendor and the Holy Suaire is today protected by a whole device to shelter it from a fire or any damage occasions. Behind the Palazzo Reale, the Giardini Reali occupy a huge area of 10 hectares. They were made on ancient fortifications. They were designed by André Le Nôtre, the famous architect of the Versailles gardens. Rich of statues, flowerbeds and fountains, you can go there freely at any time of the day, before and after the visits, to take a break ... The royal gardens are divided into several parts (lower and upper gardens), and the upper is made up of several gardens including the spectacular garden of the arts, with the fountain of the Nereids and the Tritons, the garden of the Duc or the Boschetto.