Theater of History and Magnificence

The permanent display of the Reggia, titled Theater of History and Magnificence, is a journey through the history and the art of the House of Savoy that takes visitors on a 2,000-meter walk from the ground floor to the piano nobile of the Royal Palace. The visit begins in the imposing 17th century Hall of Diana and continues through the elegant Great Gallery to a music soundtrack composed by Brian Eno, the solemn Church of St. Hubert, the 18th century architectural masterpieces by Filippo Juvarra and their sumptuous stucco decorations, and Peopling the Palaces - a   series of evocative multimedia installations by Peter Greenaway on court life.

In the destiny of Venaria there is a time for splendor and prosperity and a time for neglect, decline and the scattering of all its furnishings. The identity of this place is characterized first by a process of amassing, followed by subtraction. Over the past decade the restoration project retraced and recreated the ancient layout of the Gardens and revived the imposing spaces and the grand architecture of the Palace, while the artistic collection and the furnishings remain inexorably scant, denied by the events of history. The ancient paths to infinity and the unearthed ruins of the Gardens were reinstated with new plants and enriched by contemporary artworks: the extraordinary views of the Reggia and what remains of its original decorations were redesigned as a Theater of Magnificence to narrate ancient and modern tales and to experience the glorious past.

The first part of the display is a presentation of the dynasty that conceived and expanded the Reggia. Historical figures and members of the Court - created by the artistic genius of Peter Greenaway - will accompany the visitor also on the Piano Nobile, across the faithfully recreated 17th century rooms of the original hunting estate and the Palace of Kings, all the way to the ceremonial route of the18th century. In this way the visitors will be able to truly experience this ancient and extraordinary Palace as their own, in the best possible sense. 

The Theater of History and Magnificence is organized in two sections:

History

The basement level, characterized by the fascinating spaces that once housed the court’s kitchen, storage and service rooms, illustrates significant historical facts, themes and events concerning the House of Savoy, from its mythological origins in the year 1000 to the early 19th century, when the main branch of the family went extinct.
The last rooms before climbing up to the Piano Nobile present the transformation that the Reggia underwent over time starting with Castellamonte’s project, with a particularly intriguing “story of unfinished ideas”, that illustrates the plans by Garove, Juvarra and Alfieri that never came into being.

A brief history of the Reggia di Venaria 

Magnificence

The display continues with a grand Promenade à la cour through the apartments of the Duke and the Duchess of Savoy, the apartments of the King and the Queen, the Great Gallery, the Alfieri Rotunda and the Church of St. Hubert. This was the “ceremonial route” that characterized the 18th century Palace and that today’s visitors are invited to discover, gaining access to the vast spaces of the Reggia and admiring its unique architecture.

More than 500 artworks including paintings, sculptures, tapestry, furniture, chandeliers, carpets, banners, silverware, snuffboxes, clocks and musical instruments - some of them true masterpieces - hint at the original furnishings and recreate the ancient court atmosphere and the style of the 17th and 18th centuries.

Juvarra’s Great Stables with the Bucentaur mark the end of the permanent display of the Reggia.

Restored architectural details, unexpected and breathtaking views, vast spaces, tapestries and historical references: once again, the visitors are invited to step into the magical atmosphere of life at Court for an extraordinary journey through the culture and leisure pursuits of today and of yore.

The King's Paintings

In three elegant rooms of the 17th century Apartment of Princess Ludovica, next to the Hall of Diana, a display presents prestigious 16th and 17th century artworks on loan from the Galleria Sabauda of the Polo Reale of Turin.

Precious paintings by celebrated artists such as Guido Reni and Guercino make up an elegant display that is a tribute to the superb "picture gallery" of the Reggia, the art collection of the sovereigns of Savoy.

In collaboration with Musei Reali di Torino.

The Royal Stables. The Bucentaur and the Royal Carriages 

Juvarra's Stables, marking the end of the Reggia's permanent display, are one of Venaria's most imposing spaces and a superb example of European Baroque architecture.

The Stables are home to the splendid Bucentaur commissioned by Vittorio Amedeo II between 1729 and 1731 and crafted in Venice, the only remaining of its kind. Today it is presented in a brand new staging that incudes videos, lights and music, and the boat is "armed" in full with mast, oars and sails. 
Also on show are some of the most sumptuous ceremonial carriages used by the House of Savoy in the early 19th century. These include the golden Berlin, on loan from Palazzo del Quirinale in Rome.

The Bucentaur and the Carriages are presented together as part of the activities hosted in the Royal Stables that concerned the travels of the Sovereign and his train.They make up a permanent display that is exceptional for the value of the pieces shown in a modern and extraordinarily powerful staging, and for the unique insights that they provide into the history of the Reggia, its territory and the Royal House that ruled over it and their times.

You can access the Royal Stables with the “All in a Palace” ticket and the Reggia ticket.