Venaria Reale: Courtly Splendour and the Art of Silk

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Once known simply as Altessano, the town we now call Venaria Reale originally consisted of two small villages — the Lower and the Upper Borgo. The latter was considered healthier thanks to its higher elevation above the surrounding plain. The name Venaria was introduced by Duke Charles Emmanuel II of Savoy, who wished to transform the area into a royal hunting reserve, inspired by the French word vénerie, meaning “the art of horseback hunting.” From that moment, the two villages were united under one name: Venaria Reale. More than just a place of leisure for the royal court, Venaria soon became a hub of productive and commercial activity, thanks to its proximity to Turin and its abundant water sources. The goal was clear: to turn Venaria into a centre of manufacturing excellence, particularly in the lucrative silk trade — one of the most prized commodities of the time. To promote the town as a centre for silk production and trade, the architect Amedeo di Castellamonte designed Piazza dell’Annunziata with remarkable urban vision. The many shops and workshops facing the arcades were clearly visible from the street, allowing artisans to work silk and fine fabrics in view of passersby, showcasing their skills and techniques. The concept was that of an open-air laboratory, where craftsmanship and commerce could merge into one elegant urban space. The manufacturing complex was built on the right bank of the nearby Ceronda stream, carefully located to accommodate every stage of the production cycle. The plant was equipped with hydraulic wheels powered by the waters of a canal diverted from the Dora Riparia, providing the energy needed to operate the machinery. Silk production — initially carried out by women working from home — gradually evolved into an organised and profitable industry. To support this new industrial centre, the House of Savoy introduced tax exemptions, financial incentives and protectionist measures, encouraging the establishment of the first silk manufactories around 1670. By the mid-19th century, silk spinning employed more than 600 workers, and in the 20th century the factory was taken over by the company Snia Viscosa, which eventually employed over 6,000 people. It was mainly Venetian immigrants, recruited directly by Snia, who gave the town its new identity. The company provided them with housing in a vast workers’ district, around which the church of San Francesco was later built. Many chose to settle permanently in Venaria: in nearby Turin, housing was scarce or unaffordable, and newcomers from southern Italy often faced discrimination. Thus, through factories, workshops, new communities and the lingering splendour of the Savoy court, Venaria evolved from a rural village into a lively royal — and later industrial — town, where work, creativity and beauty have continued to intertwine up to the present day.

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Turin and the Charm of the Po River

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On the banks of the Po River, where Turin now stands, a legend tells that an Egyptian prince arriving in these lands in search of new conquests, saw a bull drinking from the river. The animal reminded him of Apis, the Egyptian deity depicted as a sacred bull, and this vision inspired him to found a new city right there: Turin. This myth, passed down through generations, has strengthened the special connection between the Piedmontese capital and ancient Egypt—a bond that today finds its fullest expression in the renowned Egyptian Museum of Turin, second in the world only to Cairo.

But the Po is not only a keeper of myths and stories: the great river has shaped the city itself. Viewed from above, Turin’s layout resembles a chestnut, as suggested by writer Tobias Jones during his journey along the river. A poetic image that perfectly reflects the blend of nature and urban design. In the city center, the famous Murazzi tell another story: originally built as warehouses and workshops along the stone riverbanks, over time they transformed into bars and social spaces, becoming a symbol of Turin’s nightlife, where social differences seemed to dissolve amid music and gatherings.

The Po then caresses one of the city’s most beloved spots for locals and tourists alike: Valentino Park. Here, nature meets art and history, offering romantic views and scenic walks. Within the park lies Turin’s Medieval Village, a late 19th-century historical reconstruction complete with a fortress, drawbridge, artisan shops, and a church. A magical corner that transports visitors back in time, perfect for families, couples, and history enthusiasts.
Turin is a city that lives in harmony with its river, able to tell legends, offer green spaces, and reveal unique views. A walk along the Po becomes a journey through myth, culture, and nature.

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Turin: Hollywood on the Po River

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It was a cold winter evening in 1896 when, in an improvised screening room in Turin, the first flickering images appeared on a white sheet. The people of Turin were speechless: before their eyes, a mischievous child soaked a gardener with water, and a train seemed to come rushing out of the screen. The films were French, of course: *L’Arroseur arrosé* and *L’Arrivée d’un train en gare*. In those early years, cinema spoke French… even the word *film* was feminine! It was short for *pellicola cinematografica* (cinematographic film), and remained feminine in Italian until the 1930s.

Then, something changed. A visionary optician from Turin, Arturo Ambrosio, began making films. His first production — the Susa–Moncenisio car race — was a resounding success. And so, the Italian film industry was born.
In Turin, Ambrosio built the first glass houses — huge studios with glass walls and roofs designed to capture as much natural light as possible. The phenomenon exploded: companies like Itala Films sprang up, along with many others, some of which lasted no longer than a film reel. Turin became an open-air set: filming took place in Art Nouveau villas, along tree-lined hill roads, and even inside the Medieval Village. It was during this period that the local expression “Non fare il cine!” emerged — a playful way of saying “Don’t be so dramatic!” or “Stop acting!” At the time, Turin’s directors and technicians were in high demand, and their films were bought “sight unseen.” By 1912, the city already boasted 20 cinemas, half of them along Via Roma. But sound cinema had not yet arrived, and once screenings ended, films were often destroyed to salvage the silver salts. Luckily, one legend was preserved: Cabiria — a groundbreaking epic filmed across Turin, Sicily, and Tunisia. The title? It was the idea of Gabriele D’Annunzio, who was hiding out in Paris from his creditors. He wrote the intertitles, chose the names, and gave the film its epic tone. It also marked the birth of the myth of Maciste, portrayed by the enormous Bartolomeo Pagano, a dockworker from the port of Genoa turned movie star. But the true mastermind behind Cabiria was Giovanni Pastrone, who signed the film as “Piero Fosco” — because back then, cinema was still considered by many as a frivolous pastime.
And yet, right here in Turin, the seventh art was learning to walk, driven by dreams and creative genius.

Enjoy a truly unique experience in the heart of Turin: uncover the secrets of the National Cinema Museum inside the spectacular Mole Antonelliana! Book your guided tour now and let yourself be enchanted by the magic of cinema.

Deer hunting, a French tradition in the States of Savoy

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The chasse à courre or hunting on horseback with dogs is an ancient practice that spread in France as well as in the States of Savoy, starting from the Renaissance. All sovereigns hunted despite their age or ailments, such as gout, even two or three times a week. Hunting was inseparable from the king’s role, as the historian Philippe Salvadori reminds us in the «Portrait du roi en chasseur».
Its organization was a responsibility of the Master of Stables, a specific section of the Savoy court. The latter, according to the Habsburg model, was structured into three sectors: in addition to the Stables, it also included the Chamber and the court itself, which respectively represented the private public and aspects of the prince.
It was in the 18th century that hunting, often identified with the value and prestige of the sovereign, reached its apogee. The deer is the animal par excellence, the king of the forests. Hunting requires various knowledge and several expert crews. The deer, surprised by the dogs, runs away in a desperate attempt to get rid of its pursuers. Overcome by exhaustion, the animal stops, now besieged by the herd. It is the so-called hallali in which the grand hunter or the guest of honor inflicts the decisive blow with a spear. The actions are accompanied by fanfares of horns and trumpets that mark the different phases of the hunt. The last act of this show follows, the curée, hot or cold, with the distribution of the less noble parts of the prey to the dogs as a reward for the task performed.
Royal hunts have left a deep mark on the Piedmont region, from the creation of routes and paths, today perfectly recognizable, to the refined residences that are UNESCO heritage sites, in the Turin area. The Royal Palace of Venaria Reale and the Palazzina of Stupinigi were the ideal setting during the 17th and 18th centuries to celebrate the art of hunting and describe the spirit of the time.

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The neoclassical and romantic taste of Turin Royal Palace

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During the 19th century, the Royal Palace of Turin also underwent major transformations inspired by the neoclassical and romantic atmospheres of the time. In 1834, King Carlo Alberto of Savoy-Carignano commissioned the Bolognese architect Pelagio Pelagi to update the royal apartments to the new classical taste.
Under his direction, in a refined and eclectic construction site, painters, sculptors, bronze workers, upholsterers and minusieri achieved a perfect synthesis between the Baroque tradition and new trends.
In the Hall of the Swiss Guards, for example, the 17th-century tapestry was replaced with a glossy green stucco covering imitating the underlying marble. The same sculptor Giuseppe Gaggini created two wall tables to protect the large painting of the Battle of San Quintino, by Palma il Giovane, from the heating coming from the heat vents below and redesigned the frame. In 1842, on the occasion of the wedding of Vittorio Emanuele II to Maria Adelaide of Habsburg-Lorraine, 44 bronze appliques were installed for the gas lighting of the palace. On the same day, 12 April 1842, the sumptuous ballroom was also inaugurated. The eight neo-Empire style chandeliers stand out, characterised by a double-crown bronze structure, culminating with palmettes and joined by long chains of cut Bohemian crystal of various shapes and diamond cut, made by the bronze workers Colla and Odetti of Turin.
After seven years of intense work, the ideal scenario for court dances was born. In the nineteenth century, social dances allowed people to create relationships and exchange information. Dance was a precious opportunity to approach other people and in particular the waltz, in which the gentleman, by putting an arm around the lady’s waist, could come into contact more easily. If with the quadrille there was only a touch, now the gentleman could finally hug the lady. This is why the waltz, nicknamed the dance of love, was initially considered scandalous and too daring.

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The pharaoh Amenhotep II in Turin

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Amenhotep II, son of Pharaoh Thutmose III, lived in the 15th century BC. The ruler belonging to the XVIII dynasty is remembered for his physical prowess and sporting ability of which he was proud. In fact, sources describe him as an expert archer, a skilled boat helmsman and a fearless chariot driver.
In addition to following in the footsteps of his father who had been the greatest conqueror of Egypt, Amenhotep was able to establish a climate of peace and wealth. In the first part of his reign he carried out a military program modeled after his father, while in the second he devoted himself to stabilizing the country, with a careful administration, as reflected in the exceptional artistic production of the period.
Amenhotep II is the only ruler, besides Tutankhamun, whose mummy was found inside his own tomb, in the Valley of the Kings. Discovered by the French archaeologist Victor Loret, at the end of the 19th century, it is now preserved in the Cairo Museum, together with some finds found inside the tomb. In fact, the archaeologist found around fifteen mummies there. The same tomb had been reused as a hiding place for the remains of other pharaohs and royal figures, to protect them from destruction, around 1000 BC. This was a practice known in Egypt: in difficult times, when tombs were robbed, officials would secure the mummies of the rulers, to ensure that they would continue to live for eternity.
The sculpture in pink granite of the Egyptian Museum in Turin presents the pharaoh Amenhotep II serene, with a hint of a smile, natural eyes, a muscular and strong body. In the new installation of the Gallery of Kings , Amenhotep is placed in front of his father Thutmose III, with whom he reigned in co-regency in the early years. The king is kneeling, offering two vessels of wine to the deities, in his role as intermediary between the human and divine worlds. Wine was considered an expensive drink, reserved for the wealthy classes, and at the same time an offering in religious and funerary rites.

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Ancient Egyptian gods in Turin

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The Egyptians, watching the sun on the horizon rise from the water, created the myth of Ra. At the beginning of time, there was only water and darkness until an egg appeared. When this egg opened, Ra, the sun god, was born.
The god took three different forms throughout the day: at dawn, he is called Khepri, at noon, Ra, and at dusk, Atum. Khepri is the scarab that scoops up excrement in the form of a ball and pushes it everywhere. Khepri then pushes the sun like the scarab. Atum, for his part, is a ferryman: when the sun sets, he takes all souls with him and sets off on a boat to the afterlife.
In ancient times, Ra was also the creator: he creates things by naming them. His children are Tefnut and Shu, moisture and air, who generate Geb and Nut, earth and sky. According to one version of the myth, Ra fell in love with his granddaughter, Nut. As Nut joins Geb, Ra curses her and forbids her from having children, no matter what day of the year it is. Nut then seeks the help of another god, Thoth, who plays dice with the moon, stealing a little of its light until it reaches five days old.
So, during these five days, which are added to the existing 360, Nut can have children with Geb, her brother and her husband! They will have Seth, Osiris, Isis, and Nephthys. Osiris is the perfect brother, who does everything right. His brother Seth becomes jealous and sets a trap for him. He builds a sarcophagus with Osiris’s exact measurements. At a festival, he holds a competition and announces to the gods that he will offer it to the one who matches it. Everyone tries, but only Osiris succeeds, because it was made for him. When Osiris settles inside, Seth locks him up and throws him into the Nile. Isis begins searching all over the Nile until she finds him. But in a moment of distraction, Seth dismembers his brother and scatters the pieces into the river. Isis finds all the pieces, except the penis, and calls on Anubis to bring her back to life (thus embalming is born). They even have a son, Horus, who avenges his father. Horus defeats Seth and he banishes him to the desert. Horus remains reigning in Lower Egypt, the most fertile part, by the delta, while his father remains in the underworld, as god of the dead, ensuring whether they pass into the afterlife or not.

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The Savoy residences in Turin

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In the middle of the 16th century, the Duchess Cristina of France chose the old Acaja castle as her residence, entrusting it to the architect Castellamonte. The new rooms, as explained by Francesca Filippi, occupied a central position, in correspondence with a large balcony, which turned into a privileged stage during ceremonies on the main square. But it is only with the second Madame Royale, Maria Giovanna Battista, that the ancient spiral staircase inside the Roman tower is replaced by the majestic one we know today. Designed by Filippo Juvarra, it owed its monumentality to the value that at the time was attributed to the meeting between the host and his guests, rather than to moments following the meeting. As in the Royal Palace court ceremonial, from the staircase you could access to the Hall of the Swiss Guards and then to the anterooms. Only later, the audience took place in the parade room, in the presence of the sovereign on a throne, raised from a podium and surmounted by a canopy with gold fringes. The walls, doors, overlays, armchairs and stools were covered in black velvet with a gold background in winter and light-coloured silk in summer. However, the most luxurious rooms were the bedroom and the alcove, although it is likely that the duchess spent more time in the private apartment she had built inside the Carmelite convent. On official occasions, according to the custom of Versailles, the ceremony of awakening and dressing took place here. There were numerous mirrors set in the refined boiseries that embellished the room as the large “false windows”, on the sides of the canopy bed, restored with the rearrangement of the museum, They multiplied the light, blinding the visitor with their splendor. On the sides of the fireplace there were two doors opening to a prayer room and, on the left, a dressing room, and a small Chinese sitting room for the tea or coffee ritual, furnished according to the exotic taste of the time and refined porcelain collections.

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Vermouth in Turin

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Vermouth was born in 1786 in Turin at the initiative of Antonio Benedetto Carpano who recovered the tradition of some friars from Biella to produce a wine flavored with herbs, for personal consumption.
Carpano had its business in the heart of Turin, under the porticoes of Piazza Castello, today at the foot of the Torre Littoria, the Reale Mutua skyscraper. They say that when king Vittorio Amedeo III tasted vermouth, he appreciated it and it entered immediately the cellar of the royal family. Then, in the early 19th century Piedmont, it becomes a luxury product to open the most exclusive dinners of the aristocracy. So frequenters of the bouvette, such as the Count of Cavour or Massimo d’Azeglio, contribute to its success.
With the remaking of via Roma, in the thirties, the shop disappeared definitively. Production remained in Turin at the plant in via Nizza until the 1990s, before moving to Milan with the transfer of the brand to the company F.lli Branca.
The classic vermouth is produced with white wine Moscato di Canelli, sugar, alcohol up to 16-18 degrees, spices and various aromas (wormwood, gentian, isoppo, anise, fennel), roots, bark or fruit peel, sometimes colored with caramel. This liqueur wine with a bitter taste can be obtained by cold maceration, hot infusion or distillation of herbs.
Vermouth is the aperitif par excellence in Turin and today it has been declared a traditional product.
In the Turin cafés, between six and seven o’clock, the “vermut” ceremony was an obligatory social appointment that harmonized the different social classes. For the young girls from a good family, led by their mothers, it represented a kind of initiation, a debut in the adult world.

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Palazzo Carignano

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In 1679 the prince Emanuele Filiberto of Carignan, a cadet branch of the House of Savoy, commissioned the architect Guarino Guarini to design a new residence with a royal appearance in the centre of Turin. During the regency, in fact the prince had become a candidate for the succession to the throne. The palace which was probably inspired by the projects that Bernini had presented to Louis XIV for the Louvre is a challenge to the regularity of the urban system of Roman origin of Turin .
The architect conceived a curvilinear facade with an oval atrium in the center, closed between the two corner pavilions. The red-brick palazzo was constructed between 1679 and 1684
The surprising atrium that served as an entrance of honour also connected the princely apartments (summer and winter). The vault is based on a 8-pointed star, a recurring theme that can be seen as well as in the decorations of the walls closing the courtyard.
The rooms were richly decorated with gold leaf and frescoes by the painter Stefano Maria Legnani, known as Il Legnanino, who had already worked in the Chapel of the Merchants, with mythological scenes celebrating the glory of the prince of Carignan. The private apartment, where the first King of Italy Victor Emmanuel II was born, was later adapted to Prime Minister’s Cabinet Room.
A theatrical staircase with symmetrical ramps led to the main floor, ideally embracing the visitor. The alternate steps, concave and convex, produced an astonishing effect on guests who entered the ballroom.
When the Princes of Carignano took over the throne, their residence passed to the State to be converted into the first Italian parliament. Nowadays it houses the National Museum of the Italian Risorgimento. By crossing the courtyard you reach piazza Carlo Alberto where the National Library was once the Carignano’s stables.

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