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This was the motto of royal house from the early 20th century, created by Queen Margherita. This town and its beautiful Palace were designed by the architetc of Savoy, Amedeo di Castellmonte, at the behest of the duke Carlo Emanuele II, who wanted a royal residence for hunting trips. Venaria Reale derives from " venatoria " : hunting. In 1658 when they started the construction, from here to the Alpes was a forest rich in wild animals. The complex is imposing: entering from the main entrance you are welcomed in the court of honor, and the facdes of the Reggia di Venaria. On the back are the immense gardens rebuilt after the destruction occured by the French. Inside you can visit a beatiful museum with Savoy histroy, fine furnishings and paintings.…
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Date of experience: January 2020
76 Helpful votes1 Repost
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Definitely worth a full morning's visit. Tips: 1stly, get there by express bus which stops at Piazza Castello, in the heart of Turin, only €1.70 on weekdays (from 8.30am, hourly departures, 45 min max) or public bus 11 or 72 at Porta Nuova which takes an hour+ (37 stops!). 2ndly, the 3 main attractions - Palace, Gardens, Scuderia (Stables) - are individually priced so best to buy the Torino+Piedmont Card (2 days @ €36, 3 days @ €43...) for unrestricted entry to all of them n all other Turin museums n most attractions. 3rdly, time to finish by 1pm+ n then have lunch at Il Convito della Venaria opposite the palace entrance at the Piazza della Republica - you won't regret it. Lastly, ask for directions to the express bus stop back n be there by 3pm for it. BTW, the palace is closed from Feb 4-28, 2020 for winter break n reopens Feb 29. Must see the restored Palace rooms, the gallery of Savoy royalties n the stunning gilded gondola in the Stables. Garden in winter was understandably bare but likely beautiful in spring/summer. Enjoy!…
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Date of experience: February 2020
3 Helpful votes
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The palace is a real work of architecture and most likely it used to be an extravagant and amazing place, but as it was destroyed and sacked and recently (relatively) renovated it does not have the grandeur of other palaces in Europe. The structure still shows how great it was but the interior is rather poor and holds mainly historical description about the savoy family and countless paintings. The gardens are huge and beautiful but can’t be compared to Versailles or many other gardens…
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Date of experience: October 2019
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This large and beautiful Royal Palace was built in the XVII and XVIII centuries as a hunting lodge and country retreat and then a showcase of the wealth and power for the House of Savoy. Turned to military use for over 150 years, the Palace was badly damaged and was wonderfully restored in the last 20 years. Most of the interiors are empty but there are videos and animations, panels and explanations showing the history of the Palace, the city of Turin and the House of Savoy, copies of portraits and restored frescoes. The architecture is just awesome and it is a pleasure just walking through. The gardens are an amazing modern interpretation of the traditional Italian / French style gardens, with fountains, ponds, pergolas and impressive views of the Alps and the Palace with plenty of modern sculptures and art installations. The ticketing system is over-complicated and I recommend you buy tickets for the Royal Palace only (includes the gardens - excludes the minor exhibitions) online to avoid massive queues at the ticket office.…
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Date of experience: October 2019
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Took a bus trip to the palace complex to see a very poorly curated art nouveau exhibition. The lighting was so bad that one could hardly see the exhibits because of the glare and apart from the paintings there wasn't much else to see. Overall most disappointed with the emptiness of it all. Exhibition prices are exorbitant and you get little bang for your buck .To top it all the staff are surly and most unhelpful. Much ado about nothing. A bureaucratic designated tourist trap......rather go and enjoy a good ice cream at La Romana and watch people passing by.......both delicious and more interesting than this destination. Come on Turin you can do better than this! Other tourist attractions in the city are fabulous but this visit let the side down…
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Date of experience: September 2019
1 Helpful vote
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