UNESCO World Heritage since 1997
For around 300 years the Savoys ruled from Turin – first as dukes, then as kings of Sardinia and, from 1861, as kings of Italy. Their palaces, hunting lodges and villas still shape the city today.
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The House of Savoy is one of the oldest ruling families in Europe. Its homeland lay in the Western Alps, on both sides of today's border between France and Italy. The founder of the dynasty is considered to be Count Umberto Biancamano (Humbert the White-Handed), who lived around the turn of the 10th to the 11th century.
Over the centuries the Counts of Savoy expanded their territory, above all by controlling the Alpine passes. In 1416 Amadeus VIII received the title of duke from Emperor Sigismund. For a long time the capital was Chambéry, on the French side of the Alps.
Turin only became the seat of the court in the 16th century – and remained so until Italy moved its capital to Florence in 1865. The Savoys ruled Italy until the end of the monarchy in 1946.
The key dates of the Savoys in Turin at a glance.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1416 | Amadeus VIII becomes Duke of Savoy. |
| 1453 | The Shroud passes into the possession of the Savoys. |
| 1557 | Emmanuel Philibert wins at Saint-Quentin (San Quintino). |
| 1559 | Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis: Emmanuel Philibert gets his lands back. |
| 1562/1563 | The capital moves from Chambéry to Turin. |
| 1578 | The Shroud comes from Chambéry to Turin. |
| 1706 | Siege of Turin; Victor Amadeus II vows to build the Basilica di Superga. |
| 1713 | Victor Amadeus II receives Sicily and becomes king. |
| 1720 | Sicily is exchanged for Sardinia: the Savoys become kings of Sardinia. |
| 1848 | On 4 March Charles Albert grants the Statuto Albertino, the constitution. |
| 1861 | On 17 March Victor Emmanuel II becomes King of Italy; Turin is the first capital. |
| 1865 | The capital moves to Florence. |
| 1946 | Referendum on 2 June: Italy becomes a republic; Umberto II goes into exile on 13 June. |
| 1983 | After the death of Umberto II, the Shroud passes to the Holy See under his will. |
| 1997 | The Residences of the Royal House of Savoy become a UNESCO World Heritage Site. |
The Savoys owe their move to Turin to Duke Emmanuel Philibert (Emanuele Filiberto). In the war between France and Spain the duchy had lost large parts of its territory. Emmanuel Philibert fought on the Spanish side and won at Saint-Quentin in 1557. In the Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis in 1559 he got his lands back.
He then moved the capital across the Alps to Turin. Two official sources disagree on the year:
Both dates describe the same process. The relocation of the court fell across these two years – if you want to be precise, write “1562/63”.
At the time Turin was still a small town with a Roman street grid. The Savoys turned it into a Baroque capital: with palaces around Piazza Castello, straight axes and squares. You can see how much of the Roman core is still visible today in the Quadrilatero Romano.
Six members of the House of Savoy whose traces you can still see in Turin today.
Born in Chambéry in 1528, duke from 1553, died in Turin in 1580. He made Turin the capital, brought the university to the city in 1566 and had Italian and French used in official documents instead of Latin. In 1564 he bought the villa on the Po that became the Castello del Valentino. In thanks for the victory at Saint-Quentin he vowed to build a church – the later Real Chiesa di San Lorenzo.
Born in Rivoli in 1562, duke from 1580 to 1630. In 1585 he married the Spanish Infanta Catherine and fought numerous wars, including over the Marquisate of Saluzzo. During his reign Ascanio Vitozzi began the Palazzo Reale project in 1584, and construction of the Chapel of the Holy Shroud (Cappella della Sindone) started in 1607. He gave the Capuchins the hill of today's Monte dei Cappuccini.
Christine of France (1606–1663), daughter of King Henry IV, married Duke Victor Amadeus I. From 1620 she had the Castello del Valentino converted into a pleasure residence. After her husband's death in 1637 she ruled as regent for her underage sons. As “Madama Reale” she gave Palazzo Madama its name: from the 1640s it was the official residence of the two Madame Reali.
He defended Turin in 1706 against the siege by the army of Louis XIV and vowed to build the Basilica di Superga in return. In 1713 he received Sicily and the title of king, and in 1720 he exchanged Sicily for Sardinia. His court architect Filippo Juvarra built Superga, the Galleria Grande in Venaria and, from 1729, the Stupinigi hunting lodge.
Born in Turin in 1798, King of Sardinia from 1831 to 1849. He founded the Galleria Sabauda in 1832 and opened the Armeria Reale in 1837, today part of the Musei Reali. On 4 March 1848 he granted the Statuto Albertino. After the defeat at Novara he abdicated on 23 March 1849 and died the same year in Porto. His sarcophagus stands in the crypt of Superga.
Son of Charles Albert, King of Sardinia from 1849. On 17 March 1861 he became King of Italy, and Turin became the first capital of the new state. In 1865 the capital moved to Florence. You can read more about this period on our page Turin, Italy's first capital.
It was Victor Amadeus II who achieved the rise from duchy to kingdom. After the War of the Spanish Succession he received Sicily in 1713, and with it a royal crown. In Palazzo Madama a room from 1713/14 celebrates exactly this transition from duchy to kingdom. In 1720 he had to exchange Sicily for Sardinia. From then on the Savoys called themselves kings of Sardinia – but they continued to rule from Turin.
In the 19th century Turin became the centre of Italian unification. From 1848 the Senate (Senato Subalpino) met in Palazzo Madama and the Subalpine Parliament in Palazzo Carignano. On 17 March 1861 the Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed, with Victor Emmanuel II as king and Turin as capital. After only four years, in 1865, the capital moved to Florence.
The end came after the Second World War. In the referendum on 2 June 1946, 54.3 per cent voted for the republic. Umberto II, the last king, went into exile on 13 June 1946. The Musei Reali have been state property since 1946.
The Shroud of Turin, the Sindone, belonged to the Savoys for around 530 years. It passed into their possession in 1453 and was initially kept in Chambéry. In 1578 Emmanuel Philibert had it brought to Turin – partly to make the pilgrimage easier for the Archbishop of Milan, Charles Borromeo. Its first home was the provisional church on the site of today's Real Chiesa di San Lorenzo.
The Savoys had a chapel of its own built for the cloth between the palace and the cathedral. The Chapel of the Holy Shroud was begun in 1607, and Guarino Guarini took over from 1666. The Shroud was kept there from 1694 to 1993, and in the cathedral since then. After the fire of 1997 the chapel was restored and reopened in 2018. Today you visit it as part of the Musei Reali route.
When Umberto II died in 1983, the Shroud passed to the Holy See under his will. It is only shown during special exhibitions in the cathedral. You'll find more about the Shroud and the Museo della Sindone on our page about the Quadrilatero Romano.
Since 1997 the “Residences of the Royal House of Savoy” have been on UNESCO's World Heritage List. They comprise 22 palaces and villas that the dukes built or remodelled in and around Turin from 1562 onwards – for running the state and for hunting, festivities and relaxation. Most of the buildings date from the 17th to the 19th century, by architects such as Ascanio Vitozzi, Guarino Guarini, Filippo Juvarra and Benedetto Alfieri.
The ensemble follows a plan:
You can visit many of the residences, some only with a reservation or on a few days. The overview below shows which ones you can visit with which pass.
The main residences in Turin and the surrounding area – with pass status and a link to our detailed page.
| Residence | Location | Torino Card | Royal Pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palazzo Reale / Musei Reali | Piazza Castello, centre | free | free |
| Palazzo Madama | Piazza Castello, centre | free | free |
| Palazzo Carignano (Appartamenti dei Principi) | Centre | free, reservation required | free, reservation required |
| Palazzo Chiablese | Piazzetta Reale, centre | admission free anyway, reservation only | admission free anyway, reservation only |
| Castello del Valentino | Parco del Valentino, San Salvario | admission free anyway, guided tours only with registration | admission free anyway, guided tours only with registration |
| Villa della Regina | Hill across the Po, Borgo Po | free, reservation required on Sundays and public holidays | free, reservation required on Sundays and public holidays |
| Reggia di Venaria Reale with Castello della Mandria | Venaria Reale, about 10 km | free (Mandria with reservation) | free (Mandria with reservation) |
| Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi | Nichelino, about 10 km | free | free |
| Castello di Rivoli (Museum of Contemporary Art) | Rivoli | free | free |
| Castello di Moncalieri | Moncalieri | free, reservation required | free, reservation required |
| Castello di Racconigi, Castello di Agliè, Castello di Govone | Piedmont | free (Racconigi and Agliè with reservation) | free (Racconigi and Agliè with reservation) |
| Basilica di Superga (royal tombs) | Superga hill | free (tombs, royal apartment, dome) | free access |
As of October 2026 according to Turismo Torino and the residences' websites. Opening days and reservation rules change – check the website of each residence before your visit. The Basilica di Superga is the burial place of the Savoys, but not one of the 22 World Heritage buildings.
The crypt of the Basilica di Superga is the burial place of the House of Savoy. Victor Amadeus III had it built between 1774 and 1778. More than 60 members of the family are buried here. Charles Albert has lain in the central sarcophagus since 1849. There is also a Chapel of the Queens and a Chapel of the Infantes.
You can only visit the tombs on a guided tour. It lasts 45 minutes and is in Italian; printed accompanying texts are available for other languages. Ideally, combine your visit with a ride on the historic rack railway from Sassi and the view from the dome. Everything about getting there, opening hours and admission is on our Basilica di Superga page.
The history of the Savoys comes alive best with a guide. These guided tours are available for the main residences, each including admission:
Two hours through the Royal Palace, including the Hall of Mirrors, the Ballroom, the Armoury and the Library. Languages: Italian, English, French, German, Spanish. The meeting point is Piazzetta Reale 1.
from €59.00
Details & booking
Small-group tour of the Savoys' hunting palace with a licensed guide, offered in several languages, including English. The meeting point is on site in Venaria.
from €145.00
Details & booking
90 minutes through Juvarra's hunting lodge, maximum 10 people. Languages: Italian, English, French, German, Spanish. The meeting point is the gate at the main entrance.
from €125.00
Details & booking
Guided tour of the Savoy crypt, the cloister and the Hall of the Popes, offered by the basilica itself. The tour is in Italian, with printed accompanying texts in other languages.
from €6.00
Details & bookingAccording to the provider, free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance is possible for all four tours.
The Turin Royal Pass is the key to the Savoy residences. It is valid for 96 hours from the first scan at 16 residences in Turin, around Turin and in Piedmont – from the Palazzo Reale to Venaria and Stupinigi, as far as Racconigi and Valcasotto. The Basilica di Superga is free to access. It is valid for one adult and one child under 12 with the same benefits. The Egyptian Museum and the National Cinema Museum are only discounted. You can get the pass from €30.00.
For Mandria, Moncalieri, Palazzo Carignano and, on Sundays, the Villa della Regina you need to book in advance.
With the Torino + Piemonte Card you also get into most of the residences for free – plus the Egyptian Museum and the National Cinema Museum. If you're only planning palaces and castles, the Royal Pass is usually the cheaper choice. If you want to combine museums and residences, the Torino Card often pays off. Our comparison works through both options with examples.
Since 1562/63. UNESCO gives 1562 as the year Emmanuel Philibert moved the capital to Turin, while the Musei Reali give 1563 for the move from Chambéry. Both dates refer to the same process.
In 1713 Victor Amadeus II received Sicily and the title of king. In 1720 he exchanged Sicily for Sardinia, and from then on the Savoys were kings of Sardinia. In 1861 Victor Emmanuel II became King of Italy.
With the referendum of 2 June 1946. 54.3 per cent voted for the republic. The last king, Umberto II, went into exile on 13 June 1946.
The ring of pleasure palaces and hunting residences that the Savoys laid out around their capital – including Venaria, Stupinigi, Rivoli, Moncalieri, Racconigi and the Villa della Regina. Together with the palaces in the centre, they have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997.
22 palaces and villas: 11 in Turin around the Palazzo Reale and 11 in the surrounding area. The Royal Pass covers 16 residences that can be visited.
In the centre on Piazza Castello stand the Palazzo Reale and Palazzo Madama, with Palazzo Carignano and Palazzo Chiablese nearby. Then there is the Castello del Valentino in the Parco del Valentino and the Villa della Regina on the hill of Borgo Po.
More than 60 members of the House of Savoy lie in the crypt of the Basilica di Superga, including Charles Albert. You can only visit the tombs on a guided tour.
The Shroud belonged to the Savoys from 1453. In 1578 Emmanuel Philibert brought it from Chambéry to Turin. In 1983, after the death of Umberto II, it passed to the Holy See under his will.
If you want to visit several residences, yes: it is valid for 96 hours at 16 residences. If you also want to visit the Egyptian Museum or the National Cinema Museum, compare it with the Torino Card – here is our comparison.
For the Musei Reali, the museum reckons on about three hours on average. Venaria with its gardens fills half a day to a full day. Add Stupinigi, Superga and the Villa della Regina and you quickly reach three to four days – matching the validity of the Royal Pass. You'll find suggestions in our Turin in 3 days itinerary.