Hunting Palace, Stupinigi

Stupinigi Hunting Palace (Palazzina di Caccia) in the southern suburbs of Turin is one of the 13 residences of the ruling house of Savoy. It was intended for hunting and celebrating various events of the royal family. Along with this, the estate is one of the most beautiful and large palaces of the 18th century in the whole old Europe. Moreover, today this architectural gem is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

History of the palace

In the Middle Ages a small castle belonging to the younger branch of the Savoy family, Savoia-Acaja stood on this site. In 1439, castle became the property of the Marquis Pallavicino. And in 1563, after the transfer of the capital of Savoy to Turin, the duke Emmanuel Philibert became its owner. The monarch left the fortress for the patronage of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus. And the forests near it became the hunting grounds of the royal family. In April 1729, King Victor Amadeus III ordered the construction of a huge palace on the site of the castle. The project was entrusted to the famous architect Filippo Juvarra. In 1731, the first hunt and the unofficial opening of the palazzo took place here. Works on the decoration of the mansion continued until 1737, and the official celebration took place only in May 1739. In 1740, two more side wings were completed, in which auxiliary rooms were located.

Later, the building grew even larger, with the hands of the architects Benedetto Alfieri and Giovanni Tommaso Prunotto. It was used as a residence for hunting, as well as for holidays and festivals. In 1773, a wedding took place between Maria Theresa of Savoy and the future King of France, Charles X. And on April 12, 1842, the wedding of Victor Emmanuel III and Adelheid of Austria was celebrated here. In 1919, the estate passed into state ownership and a museum of furniture was opened here. In 1925, the building returned to the hands of the Order of Maurice. At the end of the 20th century, it was touched by a large-scale reconstruction, after which the hunting palace was again opened for visitors.

Architecture and interior

The plan of the Palace of Stupinigi is in the shape of the St. Andrew's Cross, with a large central building. From it, a direct road along a picturesque avenue leads to Turin. The central core of the building is oval, and 4 side wings extend from it. The palace has 137 rooms and 17 halls. They occupy an area of ​​about 31,000 square meters. The buildings adjacent to the palazzo have an area of ​​14,000 square meters. Mansion wings extend forward, surrounded by a huge octagonal courtyard, overlooking the office buildings. On the dome of the main entrance there is a statue of a deer, reminiscent of the purpose of the palace. This is a bronze copy, created in 1992, the original of 1766 is inside.

Interior of Palazzina di Caccia is designed in the Rococo style. It is dominated by valuable materials and a lot of jewelry, including porcelain, gilding, mirrors, ornaments, bas-reliefs and much more. Among the huge number of halls several of the most beautiful and significant can be identified:

• Game room. The room has a rounded ornamental ceiling and niches, it was intended for table games. There is a precious collection of chess pieces inlaid with ivory.
• Hall of mirrors. Its walls and ceiling are fully decorated with ornaments and precious mirrors by Giovanni Pietro Pozzo in 1766.
• Hunting hall. It is decorated with valuable green damask fabric and paintings with hunting scenes of the authorship of Giovanni Battista Alberoni, in 1753. But the central place is occupied by a statue of the deer of the authorship of the famous mahogany master Pietro Piffetti in 1758. It is made of walnut wood with incrustations of bronze and gold.
• Royal chambers. Several separate bedrooms of the duke and his wife. All of them are distinguished by many beautiful frescos and luxurious antique furniture.
• Chapel of Sant'Uberto. Until 1767 there were buffets here and the room was called "Sala deglii Buffetti". Then it changed its purpose to religious, becoming a place for prayers of the royal couple and guests.
• Central hall. This is the heart of the building and the fulcrum from which the whole palace was built. It strikes with its beauty and luxury. The oval hall has a vaulted enclosed dome, on which there is a fresco "Diana's Hunt". Jewelry is in abundance. Gilding, marble statues and busts, murals, small and large sculptures, paintings, chandeliers, bas-reliefs and ornaments. Such an amount of incredible decoration and items is possible only in the country residence.

Park and events

A beautiful and well-structured garden, created in 1740 by the French gardener Michael Benard extends behind the palace Stupinigi. Alleys, flower beds and malachite-green lawns alternate here. Behind the wall surrounding the garden there is a huge park with an area of ​​1,700 hectares. Earlier the hunting grounds of the kings of Savoy and Sardinia were situated here, and since 1992 the territory has been taken under the protection of the state to preserve the rich fauna. And now it is inhabited by many small animals.

Now in the building there is a museum of furniture, the majority of exhibits are antique samples that once belonged to monarchs. Since the end of the 20th century, a lot of interesting things have happened on the territory of the palace. In 1987, there was an exhibition of paintings by Czech artist Jindra Husàrikovà. Later the palazzo became a place for filming of numerous films and television programs.

In 2004, 27 valuable items and 4 paintings with a total value of 40 million euros were stolen from the complex, but the following year they were found in the nearest field. And in 2011 qualification rounds for the elimination of the World Archery Championship were held in the park.

How to get there

The Hunting Palace of Stupinigi is located 10 km south of the center of Turin, between the town of Nichelino and the village of Borgaretto. Almost straight road leads from the Piazza Castello to the Piazza Principe Amedeo, 7, where the palazzo is located. Castello del Drosso and the ruins of the ancient Mirafiori Castle are situated nearby. Near the mansion there is a bus stop Stupinigi, which can be reached by routes 41, 48, 260, 299, 299T, 000282.

Opening hours: Tuesday-Friday from 10:00 to 17:30, Saturday-Sunday from 10:00 to 18:30. The ticket office closes half an hour earlier. Monday is the day off. The park of the complex is closed for visiting. Phone number of the cash desk: (+39) 011 6200634, the concierge (+39) 011 6200635, (+39) 011 3581220.

Admission: the price of the full ticket is 12 euro, with a discount – 6 euro. The latter is available for children (6-18), students (18-25), pensioners (over 65), people with disabilities, and groups of 15 people. For children under 6 – admission is free. Data of May 2018.