Castello della Mandria – Appartamenti Reali

About the museum

Castello della Mandria stands on an artificial hill called “Nuova Mandria”, in the park of the same name about 2.5 km from the Reggia di Venaria. For centuries the estate was tied to the affairs of the Reggia; in 1859 Vittorio Emanuele II of Savoy assigned it for his own exclusive private use. The whole park was enclosed by walls, and the royal architects Barnaba Panizza and Domenico Ferri were commissioned to build the buildings needed for hunting, the king’s favourite pastime.

The rooms that still form the Royal Apartments today were created in the castle’s façade. Here the first king of Italy spent part of his private life with his morganatic wife Rosa Vercellana, known as the “Bela Rosin”, who was named Countess of Mirafiori and Fontanafredda. The decorative and furnishing choices are due to court architect Domenico Ferri.

After the king’s death, between 1882 and 1887 the park, the castle and the hunting pavilions were bought by the Medici del Vascello family. In 1976 the Piedmont Region acquired the entire environmental and architectural heritage of the Mandria, and in 1978 the management body of the regional park was established. Since 1997 the castle has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Residenze Sabaude, together with the other Piedmontese Savoy residences.

The Apartments have come down to us fully furnished with objects, textiles, furniture and works of art from the old Savoy collections. They were restored and re-arranged on the basis of the archival documentation: the work involved more than one hundred works of art, 1,200 m² of decorated surfaces, some sixty pieces of furniture, 130 m² of fine textiles and 80 m² of wallpaper.

Highlights

• More than twenty rooms of the Royal Apartments of Vittorio Emanuele II and Rosa Vercellana
• Original furniture, textiles and furnishings from the Savoy collections
• More than one hundred works of art and 1,200 m² of decorated surfaces restored
• Wallpapers and fine textiles reinstated according to the archival documents
• Set within the Mandria natural park, UNESCO site since 1997

Permanent exhibition

• Appartamenti Reali di Vittorio Emanuele II – More than twenty furnished rooms where the first king of Italy and Rosa Vercellana spent part of their private lives, with furnishings, textiles and works from the Savoy collections.

Operated by

Consorzio delle Residenze Reali Sabaude (La Venaria Reale)

Visitors per year

approx. 21,856

Admission & discounts

Free admission, among others, for children under 6 (with an adult companion) and for holders of the Abbonamento Musei Torino Piemonte, Torino+Piemonte Card and Royal Pass. Advance booking of a day and time slot is recommended.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The official website describes the Reggia and the exhibition spaces as free of architectural barriers; for the Castello della Mandria it publishes no accessibility information. Information and bookings: +39 011 499 2333.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The castle is about 2.5 km from the Reggia di Venaria, inside the Parco della Mandria; from the Gardens of the Reggia a bicycle rental service runs to the park and the castle. By train: lines SFM4, SFM6 and SFM7 to the Reggia di Venaria stop.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit