Palazzo Madama

You’re now back on Piazza Castello, standing in front of the magnificent Palazzo Madama. The Italian poet Guido Gozzano once described it like this: “No other building holds so much time, history, and poetry. Palazzo Madama is like a stone synthesis of Turin’s entire past, from its very origins in Roman times to the days of our Risorgimento.” He wasn’t wrong; Palazzo Madama holds over 2,000 years of history. Its foundations still contain the remains of the Roman gate that once opened toward the river. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the gate was transformed into a defensive fortress, and later into a medieval castle. It was here in 1280 that the treaty was signed transferring control of Turin to the House of Savoy. Over the centuries, the building was expanded and became the residence of the Dukes of Savoy during their visits to Turin, though they were still based in Chambéry at the time. Its name, Palazzo Madama, comes from the regents Christine of France, and Marie Jeanne of Savoy. They lived here in the 17th and 18th centuries, after the dukes permanently moved into the Royal Palace. It was Marie Jeanne who, in 1721, commissioned the palace’s flamboyant Baroque façade from architect Filippo Juvarra, a bold contrast to the original medieval structure from the 13th century. After its time as a royal residence, the palace served many roles: headquarters for Napoleon’s troops, an art gallery for the King of Sardinia, and eventually the seat of the Senate and Parliament of Sardinia. You may be wondering, why Sardinia? Because Turin was the capital of the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia, the name adopted by the House of Savoy after trading Sicily for Sardinia with Austria. Today, Palazzo Madama is home to the Turin City Museum of Ancient Art. If you choose to visit, be sure to head up to the rooftop; the panoramic view of the city is absolutely worth the climb.