Royal Palace of Turin

History

Construction of the palace was ordered by the Regent Christine Marie in 1645. She wanted a new residence for the court after her son returned from the civil war.

The chosen location was the previous Bishop's Palace, which had been built in the middle of the new capital of Savoy, Turin, during the reign of Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy (1528–1580). Its advantages included an open and sunny position, in addition to being close to other buildings where the court met. The Duke was able to monitor the two entrances of the city (the Palatine and the Pretoria gates) from the Bishop's Palace. The Bishop's Palace in Turin was later captured by the French in 1536 and served as a residence of the French Viceroys of Savoy, who were appointed by Francis I of France. Opposite the Bishop's Palace was the Palazzo Vecchio or the Palazzo di San Giovanni. This building, disparagingly known as Pasta con Tonno (English: Pasta with tuna) because of its architecture, was later replaced by the grand Ducal Palace.

Thus the old Bishop's Palace became the seat of power and was greatly expanded by Emmanuel Philibert to house his ever-growing collection of art, animals, marbles, and furniture. Emmanuel Philibert died in Turin in August 1580 and the Savoyard throne was handed down to his son, Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy (1562–1630). In celebration of the joint marriages of his daughters Princess Margaret and Princess Isabella in 1608, Charles Emmanuel I commissioned the construction of a ring of porches topped off by an open gallery. His son, the future Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy (1587–1637), entered into a prestigious marriage when he married the French Princess Christine Marie of France. Their marriage took place in Paris at the Louvre Palace in 1619. …