Rivoli Castle, Rivoli

Rivoli Castle (Castello di Rivoli) in the town of the same name is a real architectural monument of the 17th century and one of the residences of the Savoy dynasty. A powerful and at the same time beautiful building is now the location of the Museum of Modern Art. It, like other royal places, is under the protection of UNESCO, and is included in the World Heritage List of this organization.

History of the castle

The hill on which the castle was built was probably of defensive importance in ancient times. The first fortified structure was erected around the 9th century, but the written mention dates back to 1159. Then the emperor Frederick Barbarossa passed the structure to the bishops of Turin. A little later, in 1245, this territory was taken from the confessor by the dynasty of Savoy, which caused a lot of controversy.

In 1247 a small castle grew here. In 1478, the Shroud of Turin was first shown to the general public here. After the Treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis in 1559, the duke Emanuele Filiberto settled here, and ordered the expansion of the castle and its transformation into his residence. The project was implemented by the architect Ascanio Vittozzi. But in 1562 the monarch moved to Turin, and the restoration was stopped.

The works were renewed in 1644, and the previous project was continued by the architects Carlo and Amedeo di Castellamonte. At that time, the lower wing of the main building, "Manica lunga" was built. It was intended for the royal picture gallery. In 1690-1693, the castle was looted by French troops, which then besieged Turin. After the victory, Victor Amadeus II began to restore the fortress. In 1716, the well-known architect Filippo Juvarra intervened, adding two symmetrical wings. Already in 1863 the administration of Rivoli rented the castle, placing barracks in it, and in 1883 completely bought it.

The most significant destruction of the mansion happened during the Second World War, followed by a minor restoration. Grandiose changes came in 1979. Reconstruction under the leadership of Andrea Bruno was completed in 1984. Recent changes in the façade were made in 1994.

Museum and its exhibits

The restored Baroque castle could not remain empty. And on December 18, 1984 the Museum of Modern Art (Museo d'Arte Contemporanea) was opened in its premises, which is one of the most famous in Europe. Since 2001, it has collaborated with the City Gallery of Contemporary Art of Turin. Now it includes collections of works by contemporary artists of various movements:

• Minimalism,
• Conceptual art,
• Art of the earth,
• Transavantgarde,
• "Poor art" or Arte Povera.

Works of representatives of the last two movements make up the bulk of the museum's exposition. The visitor has a chance to observe an interesting contrast between the ancient castle outside and the conceptual modern works inside.

A new pride of the museum is the collection of the famous collector Francesco Federico Cerruti. He died in 2015, and in July 2017 the museum signed an agreement with the antiquarian fund. Thanks to this, it became the first modern art museum in the world to have an encyclopedic collection of the past in its exposition. This private collection includes almost 300 paintings, sculptures and books ranging from the Middle Ages to Contemporary art, as well as more than 300 pieces of furniture and decoration.

The goal is to create a new model of an art museum in which the art of the past is kept up-to-date with perspectives, evoking a unique dialogue between the collections, between today's artists and the masterpieces of the past. The collection should be opened in 2019.

How to get there

Rivoli Castle is located in the town with the same name, on the Piazzale Mafalda di Savoia square, 2. It is only 15 km from the center of Turin. From the Massaua metro station in Turin, you can reach the center of Rivoli by bus № 36, exit at the stop Martiri della Liberta. From it, the castle can be reached either on foot (10 minutes), or by bus № 36N (10-15 minutes).

Opening hours: Tuesday-Friday from 10:00 to 17:00, Saturday-Sunday from 10:00 to 19:00. The ticket office closes 15 minutes early. Monday is the day off. Phone number: (+39) 011 9565222.

Admission: the price of the full ticket is 8.5 euros, with a discount – 6.5 euro. It is valid for children (11-18), students (18-25), pensioners (over 65), military and groups of 20 people. Free admission for children under 11, journalists and people with disabilities. Data of May 2018.