1.PALAZZO REALE (and MUSEI REALI)

A collage of kingdoms, duchies and republics prior to unification, and a monarchy until 1946, Italy maintains the memory of its royal past in the sizable palaces found in different parts of the country ranging from Piedmont to Sicily.

Some of the most remarkable regal residences are located in and around Turin, long the seat of the ruling Savoy family, who expanded their power from a duchy northwest of the city to all of Italy after unification in 1861.

Dating from the 16th century, the Palazzo Reale, like Rome, wasn’t built in a day, but rather over decades by a series of architects executing their commissions in the Baroque and then neoclassical styles popular at the time.

There’s a lot to see in this complex—suitably regal reception rooms (even chambers for footmen and pageboys are grand); an armory gallery (Armeria Reale) that captivated a group of boisterous Italian schoolchildren the day I visited.

The Galleria Sabauda, housing the Savoy family’s important art collections, with works by Van Dyck, Botticelli, Tiepolo, Fra Angelico and Bellini; and a museum (Museo di Antichità) showcasing Roman and Greek artifacts.

Foto di apertura dell’articolo di Paolo Balocco

Testo tratto da articolo del Magazine Forbes