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The old royal palace under the Alps - the heyday of the Savoy dynasty

Savoy is a family

A dynasty

From the other side of the Alps

But it left a deep and magnificent mark on this side of the mountain

The old royal palace under the Alps - the heyday of the Savoy dynasty

Beneath the snow-capped Alps, it was once the base of the Savoy dynasty.

The old royal palace under the Alps - the heyday of the Savoy dynasty

When Emmanuel-Philibert, Duke of Savoy, moved his capital to Turin in 1562, he began a series of architectural plans to demonstrate the power of the ruling family. Designed and decorated by the highest-calibre architects and artists of its time, this high-quality complex brings to life everything from the main area where the Royal Palace is located, as well as the many dwellings and hunting huts in the city to the countryside surrounding the Palace.

The old royal palace under the Alps - the heyday of the Savoy dynasty

Antoni van Dyck, 1624, Emmanuel Phillipbert (1588-1624), Prince Of Oneria

The Palazzo Reale di Torino, also known as the Palazzo Reale di Torino, dates back to the 16th century as the royal palace of the Italian Duchy of Savoy, and in the centuries that followed, the Palazzo Reale di Torino was remodeled and expanded to varying degrees. Now, from the architecture of the Royal Palace of Savo, it is not difficult to find the ingenious architectural style of the Turin architects at that time. Open to the public as a museum from 1946, it is one of the most famous buildings in Italy in the 17th century.

The old royal palace under the Alps - the heyday of the Savoy dynasty

The museum is in the Baroque style, not complicated, but more solemn. If there is anything special about the palaces of the Savoy family, it is that many of them use brick and only use marble decoration on a few facades.

The old royal palace under the Alps - the heyday of the Savoy dynasty

The Royal Palace of Turin is a 17th-century palace that was remodeled by seven artists and designers, thus blending Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassical styles.

The old royal palace under the Alps - the heyday of the Savoy dynasty

The architecture of the Savo Palace is extravagant, and the rooms are decorated according to the tastes of the Savo dynasty nobility, mainly displaying the architecture and interiors of the Savoy Principality period, as well as the royal family's art collection, including paintings, tapestries, furniture and gold and silverware.

The old royal palace under the Alps - the heyday of the Savoy dynasty

Designed by Italian artist Pelagio Palagi, the palace gate is decorated with a gilded head of the Medusa, alluding to Medusa's defense against palace invaders.

The old royal palace under the Alps - the heyday of the Savoy dynasty
The old royal palace under the Alps - the heyday of the Savoy dynasty

Inside the palace, you can see baroque staircases, on which on either side of the walls are paintings documenting important events of the Savoy family, and in the niches directly in front of it are two statues of figures, Namely, Duke Emmanuel Philibert, who fought to rebuild the Savoy Dynasty, and Charles Albert, Duke who promulgated the first Constitution of Italy.

The old royal palace under the Alps - the heyday of the Savoy dynasty

The Royal Palace of Turin has 2 floors, and the first floor has a chest armor cavalry hall, a throne room, an infantry room, and a Chinese showroom. This museum has one of the richest collections of weapons in the world, and the portico of the royal palace is the Royal Armoury, which houses a large collection of weapons and armor from the 16th and 17th centuries.

The old royal palace under the Alps - the heyday of the Savoy dynasty
The old royal palace under the Alps - the heyday of the Savoy dynasty

The Throne Room is dedicated to the throne of Maria Teresa, the only female ruler in the history of the Habsburg monarchy, with armrests and chairs decorated with lion heads and claws symbolizing power and throne, and the chair body is surrounded by carved garlands and cupid gilded balustrades.

The old royal palace under the Alps - the heyday of the Savoy dynasty

The height of the room exceeds that of the general palace, and the outer layer adopts a 4-storey style, which is gradually reduced from the bottom to the top, bringing a visual enjoyment of harmonious proportions. The height of the interior even takes up to two floors of what it looks like on the outside. The interior decoration is not as cumbersome as the French palace, one color per room, but it is also enough to be pompous.

The old royal palace under the Alps - the heyday of the Savoy dynasty
The old royal palace under the Alps - the heyday of the Savoy dynasty

At the edge of the wooden window, the height of the princes of the past is recorded.

The second floor of the palace mainly exhibits the art collection of the Savoy Dynasty, mainly tapestries and paintings, including the King's Bedchamber, the Daniel Gallery, the restaurant, the banquet hall and the medal hall.

The old royal palace under the Alps - the heyday of the Savoy dynasty
The old royal palace under the Alps - the heyday of the Savoy dynasty

The Daniel Gallery is named after the Viennese court painter Daniel Seiter, whose work was so beloved by the Duke of Savoy that he was invited to paint murals for the palace and set up a special exhibition hall for him. Daniel's most important work is the ceiling painting in the gallery, which is divided into 5 parts, depicting the Olympian gods surrounding the deified duke in the center, surrounded by Apollo driving the sun chariot, Aurora sowing flowers, and Hercules ascending Mount Olympia.

The old royal palace under the Alps - the heyday of the Savoy dynasty
The old royal palace under the Alps - the heyday of the Savoy dynasty

Zenith painting, Daniel Seiter (1642-1705)

Overlooking the entire royal garden from the window of the 2nd floor of the King's Bedchamber, the wall facing the entrance to the residence hangs a 1523 altarpiece by the Italian painter Defendente Ferrari (1480-1540), "The Virgin and Child and st. John the Baptist, Saint Nazario and the Man who Prays."]

The old royal palace under the Alps - the heyday of the Savoy dynasty

Defendente Ferrari (1480-1540), Virgin and Child and the Baptist St. John, Saint Nazario and the Man who Prayed, 1523

The old royal palace under the Alps - the heyday of the Savoy dynasty

There is also a "Chapel of the Holy Shroud" in the west wing of the palace, which was built in 1694 as a royal collection and later dedicated to preserving the important holy relics of Christianity, the "Shroud of Turin". This linen cloth is printed with traces of the male face and the front and back of the body, and is said to be the linen cloth used to wrap the body of Jesus. In 1997, the relic was moved to the rear of the Cathedral of Turin for preservation.

The old royal palace under the Alps - the heyday of the Savoy dynasty

Gorgeous

Complex and sophisticated

The heyday of the Savoy dynasty

It's all on display in this sparkle

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