The Royal Armoury of Turin (Italian: Armeria Reale) is one of the world's most important collections of arms and armour, formed in Turin by the Savoy family. The museum is now part of the Musei Reali di Torino, the royal site that has unified the Royal Palace, the Sabauda Gallery, the Archaeological Museum, the Royal Library and the Armoury. The whole site has been included on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1997.
The Royal Armoury was founded by Charles Albert, king of Sardinia, and opened to the public in 1837. Since then it has been housed in the Galleria Beaumont, built on the site of a previous gallery connecting the Royal Palace to Palazzo Madama. Designed by Filippo Juvarra in 1733, it was decorated by the court painter Claudio Francesco Beaumont (hence its name) in 1738–1743, whose oil paintings on the ceiling depict Stories of Aeneas . The gallery was completed after 1762 by Benedetto Alfieri, who also designed the nearby stairway as an access to the State offices (Segreterie di Stato). Until 1832, several large paintings from the royal collections were displayed on the walls of this gallery. The paintings were then moved to Palazzo Madama, the first seat of the public collection called Reale Galleria (now Sabauda Gallery). King Charles Albert decided to place his collection of arms and armour inside this gallery; most of them came from Turin’s and Genoa’s arsenals, as well as from the museums housed since the 18th century in the Palazzo dell’Università. The royal collection included prehistoric and medieval objects, weapons and armour used by the dukes (later kings) of Savoy, but also many prestigious diplomatic gifts. Charles Albert enriched such collection through the acquisition of single pieces on the market (mainly in Paris) and of whole private collections, such as the one formed by the set designer Alessandro Sanquirico in Milan (1833) and the Martinengo della Fabbrica collection from Brescia (1839). In 1836, the king asked Pelagio Palagi to redesign an adjacent room in order to make it the seat of the Medagliere, i.e. a large collection of medals, coins and seals. The room's Greek-style furniture was specifically meant to preserve and display this collection, as well as antiques and other precious objects belonging to the royal family. The Medagliere was closely connected with the Royal Library still housed on the ground floor. Palagi also designed the so-called Rotonda at the other end of the Galleria Beaumont, on the site of a former theatre (later ballroom) once connected to Palazzo Madama through a further gallery which was demolished in 1809. The Rotonda became an extension of the original Armoury: arms, flags and other objects connected with the military history of the kingdom of Sardinia after the 18th century were then displayed in showcases in this room. The collection includes weapons formerly owned by Napoleon and by the kings of Italy, since the Savoy family gained that title after the unification of the country in 1861. European and American swords, guns and rifles are now displayed alongside oriental arms and armour acquired by or donated to the kings.
Among the objects belonging to the collection are the sword of San Maurizio, one of the most important relics owned by the Savoy family, made in the 13th century and still preserved with its 15th-century impressed, gilded and painted leather case; a 14th-century enamel horse bit from Naples; a 16th-century pistol which belonged to the emperor Charles V; precious armour such as count Girolamo Martinengo's corsaletto (breastplate), dating from c. 1540, Henry II’s parade shield (c. 1556 – 1559), and the war and jousting armour made by the Milanese armourer Pompeo della Cesa around 1590; extremely rich arms such as the hunting musket decorated in ivory by the German engraver Adam Sadeler around 1600; the sword used by Napoleon during his campaign in Egypt; guns and rifles owned by Charles Albert of Sardinia and by the kings of Italy Victor Emmanuel II and Umberto I; a Russian model Smith & Wesson revolver dating from the late 19th century.
The Residences of the Royal House of Savoy are a group of buildings in Turin and the Metropolitan City of Turin, in Piedmont. It was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list in 1997.
Antonio Visentini was an Italian architectural designer, painter and engraver, known for his architectural fantasies and capricci, the author of treatises on perspective and a professor at the Venetian Academy.
Palazzo Madama e Casaforte degli Acaja is a palace in Turin, Piedmont. It was the first Senate of the Kingdom of Italy, and takes its traditional name from the embellishments it received under two queens (madama) of the House of Savoy.
The Royal Castle of Racconigi is a palace and landscape park in Racconigi, province of Cuneo, Italy. It was the official residence of the Carignano line of the House of Savoy, and is one of the Residences of the Royal House of Savoy included by UNESCO in the World Heritage Sites list.
The Royal Palace of Turin is a historic palace of the House of Savoy in the city of Turin in Northern Italy. It was originally built in the 16th century and was later modernized by Christine Marie of France (1606–1663) in the 17th century, with designs by the Baroque architect Filippo Juvarra. The palace also includes the Palazzo Chiablese and the Chapel of the Holy Shroud, the latter of which was built to house the famous Shroud of Turin.
The Museo Civico d'Arte Antica is an art museum located in the Palazzo Madama in Turin, Italy. It has a renowned collection of paintings from the medieval, Renaissance and Baroque periods. It reopened in 2006 after several years of restorations.
The Galleria Sabauda is an art collection in the Italian city of Turin, which contains the royal art collections amassed by the House of Savoy over the centuries. It is located on Via XX Settembre, 86.
Giovanni Battista Biscarra or Jean-Baptiste Biscarra was an Italian painter, sculptor and lithographer. He principally painted historical and religious subjects and royal portraits.
The Palace of Venaria is a former royal residence and gardens located in Venaria Reale, near Turin in the Piedmont region in northern Italy. It is one of the Residences of the Royal House of Savoy, included in the UNESCO Heritage List in 1997.
Turin is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is mainly on the western bank of the Po River, below its Susa Valley, and is surrounded by the western Alpine arch and Superga Hill. The population of the city proper is 847,287 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat to be 1.7 million inhabitants. The Turin metropolitan area is estimated by the OECD to have a population of 2.2 million.
The Royal Library of Turin is a library located within the ground floor of the Royal Palace of Turin, itself a World Heritage Site in Turin, Italy.
Favorito was the personal horse of Charles Albert of Savoy, King of Sardinia from 1831, and was ridden by him during the campaigns of 1848. After the Piedmontese defeat at the Battle of Novara in 1849, and the king's subsequent abdication, Favorito joined his master in exile in Porto. Following the death of Charles Albert in the July of that year, the horse was brought back to Turin and to the Royal Stables.
The Royal Palace of Milan was the seat of government in the Italian city of Milan for many centuries. Today, it serves as a cultural centre and it is home to international art exhibitions. It spans through an area of 7,000 square meters and it regularly hosts modern and contemporary art works and famous collections in cooperation with notable museums and cultural institutions from across the world. More than 1,500 masterpieces are on display annually.
Claudio Francesco Beaumont was an Italian painter, active in a late baroque-style mostly in the Piedmont region.
The Palazzo Chiablese is a wing of the Royal Palace of Turin, in Northwest Italy.
La Mandria Regional Park is a park in the comuni of Venaria Reale and Druento, near Turin, northern Italy. Founded in 1978 by the regional council of Piedmont, it occupies a wide area between the Stura di Lanzo torrent and the north-western part of Turin and Venaria.
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Turin, Piedmont, Italy.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Turin:
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| General | |
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| National libraries | |
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