Palace of Venaria

The Palace of Venaria (Italian: Reggia di Venaria Reale) is a former royal residence and gardens located in Venaria Reale, near the city of Turin in the Piedmont region in northern Italy. It is one of the 14 Residences of the Royal House of Savoy built in the area between the 16th and 18th centuries which were collectively designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

The palace was designed and built from 1675 by Amedeo di Castellamonte, commissioned by Duke Charles Emmanuel II, who needed a base for his hunting expeditions in the heathy hill country north of Turin. The name itself derives from the Latin phrase Venatio Regia meaning "Royal Hunt". It was later enlarged to become a luxurious residence for the House of Savoy. During that time, the palace complex became a masterpiece of Baroque architecture and was filled with decoration and artwork. It fell into disuse at the end of the 18th century. After the Napoleonic Wars, it was used for military purposes until 1978, when its renovation began, leading to the largest restoration project in European history. It finally opened to the public on October 13, 2007, and it has since become a major tourist attraction and exhibition space.

It is noted for its monumental architecture and Baroque interiors by Filippo Juvarra, including the Galleria Grande and its marble decorations, the chapel of Saint Uberto, and its extensive gardens. The palace received 1,048,857 visitors in 2017, making it the sixth most visited museum in Italy.

Text adapted from “Palace of Venaria” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Palace of Venaria ranks #546 of 7,738 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #37 of the 452 mapped in Italy. Founded 1675, it is older than 24% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 580 atlas entries founded in the 17th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 9,729 times in the last 60 days, more than 92% of the atlas. Wikidata records about 330,000 visitors in 2022. 7 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Turin, 8 km away. See how Italy compares in the castle statistics.

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