Turin’s palaces tell the story of the House of Savoy and the city they made their capital.
The House of Savoy ruled from Turin for the best part of three centuries, first as dukes, then as kings of Sardinia and finally as the royal family of a newly unified Italy. To let everyone know who was in charge, they built. And they built.
Today, 22 of these royal residences form a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In a nutshell, the best palaces in Turin for a first visit are Palazzo Reale, Palazzo Madama and Palazzo Carignano in the city centre, plus Reggia di Venaria just outside Turin. Choose Palazzo Reale if you have time for only one; it’s centrally located and gives you a clear introduction to the Savoy court.
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Why are Turin’s palaces linked to the Savoy dynasty?
The story starts with Emanuele Filiberto, Duke of Savoy. After moving the capital from Chambéry to Turin in 1562, he began a major building programme. His successors expanded it over the following centuries.
This was much bigger than a collection of grand homes.
The central residences formed the command area of the new capital. Other properties in the countryside were built as hunting residences, or for entertainment and leisure. Residences belonging to other branches of the Savoy family were added to the network.
In 1997, UNESCO inscribed the Residences of the Royal House of Savoy as an important example of European architecture from the 17th and 18th centuries. They also show how architecture was used to express the power of an absolute monarchy.
Before You Start: Royal Pass or Torino + Piemonte Card?
Both passes cover the palaces in this guide, but they’re aimed at slightly different trips, so it’s worth working out which one matches yours before buying.
The Royal Pass
If your main reason for visiting Turin is the Savoy residences, this is the simpler choice. It costs €30 for a four-day pass.
The Royal Pass covers the Musei Reali (which includes Palazzo Reale), Palazzo Madama, the Princes’ Apartments at Palazzo Carignano, Palazzo Chiablese, Villa della Regina, Castello del Valentino and Reggia di Venaria, along with a handful of residences further afield and Basilica di Superga. Pass holders also get money off entry to the Egyptian Museum and the Cinema Museum.
Torino + Piemonte Card
I bought this card on my last visit to Turin. It comes in one-, two-, three- and five-day versions, priced from around €30 for a single day up to €53 for five days.
It casts a much wider net, with free or discounted entry across somewhere in the region of 150 to 200 museums, galleries and monuments in Turin and Piedmont. Crucially, it includes free entry to the Egyptian Museum and the Cinema Museum rather than just a discount, alongside the same core group of Savoy residences.
Public transport isn’t included with either pass, though both come with reduced-rate travel add-ons. Prices and conditions can change, so check the official card pages before buying.
The Best Palaces in Turin
1. Palazzo Reale: the best palace in Turin for a first visit
Palazzo Reale was the main residence of the House of Savoy in Turin, and the political engine room of the Savoy court from the late 16th century right through to Italian unification in 1861. Today, it’s part of the wider Musei Reali complex.
A prescribed route takes you through state apartments, gilded ceremonial rooms and a serious armoury collection to the baroque Chapel of the Holy Shroud. Behind the palace, the vast Royal Gardens were redesigned by Le Nôtre, the same landscape architect behind Versailles.
My tip: allow two to three hours here, and closer to four or five if you also want to take in the Galleria Sabauda art collection and the Museum of Antiquities, both covered by the same Musei Reali ticket. I spent a full morning here.
2. Palazzo Madama: the most unusual palace in Turin
Palazzo Madama is hard to classify at first glance.
Filippo Juvarra’s grand 18th-century baroque frontage faces Piazza Castello. Walk round the back, amongst Turin’s oldest surviving pieces.
The palace gets its name from two dowager Savoy duchesses, both known as Madama Reale, who used it as their residence in turn. It now houses the Museo Civico d’Arte Antica, a collection of paintings, sculpture, ceramics and decorative art from the late Middle Ages to the 18th century.
My tip: choose Palazzo Madama if architecture or art is your main interest.
3. Palazzo Carignano: where the story of Italy comes into focus
Palazzo Carignano has a different character from the other two central palaces. Its importance is closely tied to the history of Italian unification.
Guarino Guarini designed its distinctive curved terracotta façade for Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy Carignano in 1678. It’s the birthplace of two future Savoy monarchs, Carlo Alberto and Vittorio Emanuele II, and it later became the seat of the Subalpine Parliament, and then of unified Italy.
Today, the National Museum of the Italian Risorgimento occupies the first floor. You can also visit the Princes’ Apartments. This costs an additional €5 (included in the Royal Pass and Torino + Piemonte Card), and reservation is mandatory.
My tip: allow enough time to read the historical displays. Palazzo Carignano is worth a visit if you want to understand how Turin moved from being the capital of Savoy to the first capital of unified Italy. I found it surprisingly absorbing.
4. Reggia di Venaria: the Savoy palace to visit outside Turin
Reggia di Venaria is the outlier in this guide because it’s outside central Turin, though that shouldn’t put you off visiting.
It started life as a hunting lodge for the Savoy court and was later expanded into a palace built to rival Versailles in scale and ambition. It’s one of the largest royal residences in Europe, and the Great Gallery alone, over eighty metres of arched windows and stucco, shows how far the Savoys were willing to go to impress visiting royalty.
My tip: give Venaria a half day at least. If you want to see the palace and gardens without rushing, allow longer.
I’ve written this detailed guide on visiting Reggia di Venaria from Turin.
A Simple 1-Day Savoy Palaces Itinerary in Turin
1. Start at Palazzo Reale when it opens. Allow at least two hours for the palace route and the main collections.
2. Walk across Piazza Castello to Palazzo Madama. Allow around 90 minutes to two hours.
3. Walk towards Piazza Carignano and stop for lunch or coffee nearby.
4. Visit Palazzo Carignano in the afternoon. Check the Princes’ Apartments opening schedule before you go.
5. Finish with a walk through the historic centre. The route between the palaces is easy on foot.
Final thoughts
Turin rarely gets the same billing as Rome, Florence or Venice, but there’s plenty here for anyone with an interest in how a single family shaped Italy. I recommend spending at least two days in Turin to get the most out of it.
You don’t need to visit all 22 UNESCO-listed Turin palaces to understand the story. Start with Palazzo Reale. Add Palazzo Madama if you enjoy architecture.
Choose Palazzo Carignano if the story of Italian unification interests you most. If you have time to spare, make the trip to Venaria for a larger royal estate and gardens.
That gives you a manageable introduction to one of Italy’s most interesting royal landscapes without turning your Turin trip into a checklist.
About Bridget
Bridget Coleman has been a passionate traveller for more than 30 years. She has visited 70+ countries, most as a solo traveller.
Articles on this site reflect her first-hand experiences.
To get in touch, email her at hello@theflashpacker.net or follow her on social media.