LA VENARIA REALE

La Venaria Reale is a grandiose estate just outside Turin. In comprises 80,000 square meters of floor surface in the Reggia and 60 hectares of Gardens, adjacent to the 17th century ancient village of Venaria and the 3,000 fenced hectares of the Park of La Mandria.

It is a natural and architectural masterpiece that was declared part of the World Heritage by UNESCO in 1997. It reopened to the public in 2007 after completing the EU’s largest cultural restoration project to date. The monumental palace, is home to some of the finest examples of universal Baroque: the enchanting Hall of Diana designed by Amedeo di Castellamonte, the breathtaking Great Gallery and the solemn Church of St. Hubert, the grandiose complex of the Juvarra Stables designed by Filippo Juvarra in the 18th century.

After the Napoleonic occupation, the Reggia was transformed into a military barracks, resulting in the inexorable decline of the building and the Gardens. Its restoration has led to an operation without precedent, the Gardens have created an example that has no equal in Italy, presenting a model that combines antique and modern styles perfectly. A virtuous dialogue between archaeological sites and contemporary works, where the monumental statue of Hercules Colossus communicates with the works of famous contemporary artists such as Giuseppe Penone and Giovanni Anselmo.

Visitors coming to the Gardens for a stroll or a thematic guided tour can also participate in the activities that are organised regularly in the Gardens (see online calendar). Diana’s Arrow, a trackless train, takes visitors across the Lower Park and all the way to the remains of the Temple of Diana, or t you can also sail on the Great Pond on the gondola of the Reggia. The Gardens  can also be visited on a horse-drawn carriage.

The Reggia hosts temporary exhibitions, events and cultural activities. The important exhibition activity, which ranges from ancient to contemporary art, is hosted in the Scuderie Juvarriane and in the Sale delle Arti. 8,000 square metres of the former stables of the Reggia have been occupied since 2005 by the "La Venaria Reale" Centre for the Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage, the third national restoration centre together with those of Rome and Florence.