Palazzo Carignano

Stylish and stately, here lies Palazzo Carignano. This grand building was once home to the Princes of Carignano, descendants of the royal House of Savoy. It’s also the birthplace of Victor Emmanuel II, the first King of Italy and one of the modern nation’s founding fathers. The palace was commissioned in 1679 by Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy, not to be confused with his great-grandfather of the same name, whose statue you saw in Piazza San Carlo. Nicknamed “Iron Head”, he moved the capital of the Duchy of Savoy from Chambéry to Turin. The current Prince of Savoy is also called Emmanuel Philibert. Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it! So, a quick recap, the great-grandson of the first Duke to settle in Turin builds this palace, where his son, the future first King of Italy, is born. The palace’s design was inspired by sketches submitted by Gian Lorenzo Bernini for the Louvre Palace in Paris. Bernini, the legendary Italian sculptor and architect, competed to design the Louvre, but his design was rejected, as France was seeking a more national architectural style. Luckily for Turin, Bernini’s ideas didn’t go to waste. They inspired Guarino Guarini, the architect of Palazzo Carignano. This building isn’t just a historic residence of the House of Savoy, it also played a key role in the birth of modern Italy. This is where the first Subalpine Parliament was established, followed by the first Italian Parliament. Let’s rewind back to Italian unification. Before Italy became one nation, it was a patchwork of independent kingdoms. When Victor Emmanuel II became King of Piedmont-Sardinia, he appointed Cavour as Prime Minister. Cavour dreamed of unifying Italy under Piedmontese leadership, and he knew it would only be possible with support from France. So he arranged a secret meeting with Napoleon III. The two reached a deal: Napoleon promised French military support, especially in the event of a war with Austria, which was occupying Lombardy, in exchange for the territories of Savoy and the County of Nice. When Austria went to war with Piedmont, France delivered on its promise. The Austrians were defeated, and Piedmont gained Lombardy. The annexations continued, with help from another hero of unification, the legendary Garibaldi, who took over the Kingdom of Naples. In 1861, representatives from all over Italy, except Rome and Venice, gathered in Turin to declare the creation of the Kingdom of Italy, naming Victor Emmanuel II as its king. Venice would be added later through diplomacy. However, Rome remained under papal control. It wasn’t until September 20, 1870, that Italian forces seized Rome. A popular vote followed, and the city joined the Kingdom. In 1871, Rome became the capital. At last, Italy as we know it was born. The Pope, however, stayed in the Vatican. That situation wasn’t resolved until the Lateran Agreements in 1929, which finally settled the so-called “Roman Question.” The Kingdom of Italy was officially proclaimed in the palace before you. It’s only fitting that it now houses the National Museum of Italian Unification.