Italy is one of Western Europe youngest countries. Italy was unified in 1861 when the numerous nation-states became the Kingdome of Italy. Until that very moment, castles, palaces, villas across Italy had been a sign of power of the wealthy and ruling dynasties. Most of these estates today are Unesco World Heritage Sites open to the public.

The Reggia of Venaria Reale

La Venaria Reale is the Versaille of Turin. This superb Baroque estate was built during the 17^th Century.

The Reggia, together with the gardens and the outbuildings covers a 950,000 m² area. There are 1600 m² of frescos, 1300 meters of balustrades, 60 hectares of restored Gardens and 10 hectares of vegetable gardens and orchards in Italy’s largest Potager.

Most visitors are struck by the beauty of the famous Great Gallery and the Hall of Diana. The Great Gallery measures 15 meters in height at the center of the vault, 80 meters in length and 12 in width and offers a splendid light effects created by 44 tall windows and 22 “eyelets” (openings that are oval on the inside, but rectangular on the outside).

Inside the estate is possible to find temporary exhibitions areas and contemporary art pieces. The lower Park hosts the Peschiera, a vast pond of 11 million liter of water with the remains of the Fountain of Hercules.

The building that used to host the stable of the palace is today a 8000 m² Cultural Heritage Conservation and Restoration Centre, the third most important after the ones of Rome and Florence.

Castle of Grinzane Cavour

This is one of the oldest and most imposing castles in the Langhe wine region and it stands in a spectacular setting just a few miles away from the city of Alba.

Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, was a Piedmontese statesman, a conservative, whose exploitation of international rivalries and of revolutionary movements eventually brought to the unification of Italy in 1861. He became Italy first prime minister of the new kingdom under the House of Savoy. The Count of Cavour not only chose the castle as his private residence but also acted as the mayor of Grinzane Township (now Grinzane Cavour) from 1832 to 1849.

He was also protagonist of an “enological crusade” to create Piedmontese wines that rivaled the wines of Burgundy for their quality. The manor in fact was the place where the first experiments on wine quality took place, leading to the selection of the greatest Piedmontese red wines. The castle is therefore one of the historic temples of the Piedmontese wine producing tradition.

The Castle now hosts the “Cavour” Regional Enoteca, the first to be set up in Piedmont in 1967. This is a prestigious showcase for the very best Piedmontese wines and grappas, foremost amongst them being Barolo and Barbaresco.

Stupinigi Hunting Lodge

The Palazzina di Caccia of Stupinigi is an enormous hunting lodge built in the late 18^th century.

The architect Filippo Juvarra created for the Savoy family an estate of eccentric design where light floods through the arched French doors at the bottom, small, rectangular windows half way up and large arched windows on top.

Stupinigi was the favourite spot of the Savoy family for spectacular parties and solemn marriages. Later on, in the early 19th century it was also the residence of Napoleon.

The construction work on the central system, which began in 1729, was completed in just a couple of years and the building was inaugurated in 1731.

The Church of the Visitation in close proximity to the Hunting lodge considerably with the rest of the palace, yet the poverty of the furnishings and décor depend on the fact that this church was intended for the farmers from the nearby farmhouses, while the Savoy family went to Mass in a chapel inside the palace.

Castle of Masino

Immersed within extensive grounds, this is the sumptuous residence of one of the most illustrious Piedmontese families, the Counts Valperga. The Valperga family claimed to be descendant of King Arduino (the first king of Italy) and lived here for more than ten centuries.

The location of the castle resulted so strategic that the castle was frequently under attack. Over the centuries, it has undergone significant transformations and eventually turned into an elegant country estate and holiday home. Inside the castle, there is a priceless library, which is home to more than 25,000 antique volumes.

Among the beautiful rooms to visit there is certainly the Ballroom, finely decorated and with large windows from which you can enjoy the view of the great park of the castle. In the Museum of Carriages you can admire 12 examples of carriages for gala, coupe, vis-à-vis, buggy for children, all made by the most important Italian coachbuilders of the time.

The outstanding garden, completely renovated between the 18th and 19th centuries with an English style, embraces the second largest mazes in Italy. The labyrinth of Masino was reconstructed according to the 18^th century design found in the archives. Over 2000 hornbeam plants cut with meticulous regularity were used.

Castle of Racconigi

The original structure, founded around the 11th century as a fortified house, was transformed during the 17th century when the Racconigi Castle turned into the ‘holiday home’ for the Savoy Royal Family.

From the times of Charles Albert through to the fall of the monarchy, the Royal family would spend its holidays in this imposing castle built by Guarini.

The castle of Racconigi overlooks the local town and the gloriously romantic park. The gardens and park remain as an untouched 19th structure, characterized by a romantic array system with streams, lakes, and monuments. Given the fact that the castle of Racconigi was the most attended by the royal family until 1946 it was not deprived of its furniture, paintings, and sculptures unlike other estates.

The Racconigi Castle is 40 km away from Turin. With the transfer of the capital from Turin to Florence in 1865 and later in Rome (1871), the Royal family eventually lost interest in the castle. This was until, in the early years of the 20th century, King Vittorio Emmanuele III chose it again as his holiday residence. The castle was then purchased in 1980 by the Italian State.

Discover our Castles Tour to visit the main castles and palaces and learn their legends and secrets!