Mirafiori Castle Ruins, Turin

Mirafiori Castle Ruins (Castello Mirafiori) in Turin was once a fine creation of human hands. But, unlike many sights of this beautiful city, this estate could not be saved. Built in the late 16th century on the site of the manor house, the castle became one of the residences of the royal house of Savoy. The first owner was Emanuele Filiberto I, who ordered the creation of a beautiful castle. In 1637, Cristina, the wife of Prince Vittorio Amedeo I was its owner. After the devastation during the war in 1640, the royal dynasty began creating new palaces closer to the center of the city, and Mirafiori began to be passed from hand to hand. It was the abode of the monastic order, the tobacco factory, and finally the residence of the illegitimate wife of Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of Italy.

The castle was located on the picturesque bank of the Sangone River – the tributary of the Po River. This played a cruel joke in the late 19th century. Then the flood happened, and the water that had left the banks almost completely destroyed the structure. Over the years, nobody was in a hurry to restore it, and from its former greatness only ruins remain. In addition to them, the castle gave its name to the city district, Mirafiori Sud.

How to get there

If you want to see the remains of the castle with your own eyes, you can find them next to Castello di Mirafiori. Nearby there is a stop Verga, to which the buses № 34, 38, 63 run.