Queen's Villa

The Villa della Regina is a Baroque gem located on the hills of Turin, a residence that testifies to centuries of history and splendor of the House of Savoy. Originally conceived in 1615 by Ascanio Vitozzi for Cardinal Maurice of Savoy, the villa was designed as a sumptuous country residence surrounded by vineyards. After Vitozzi’s death, the project was completed by architects Carlo and Amedeo di Castellamonte, who created an elegant and majestic residence, perfectly integrated with the surrounding hilly landscape. Cardinal Maurice, a man of refined culture, gave up the cardinal purple to live in the villa with his wife Ludovica, with whom he organized academic meetings in the salon known as the Accademia dei Solinghi. This academy was a meeting place for intellectuals, scientists, and artists of the time, including Emanuele Tesauro and the future Pope Innocent X, who discussed literature, science, and philosophy. The villa became particularly famous in the 18th century when Anna Maria of Orléans, wife of Victor Amadeus II, chose it as her favorite summer residence. Filippo Juvarra, one of the most illustrious architects of the time, was commissioned to renovate the villa, transforming it into a refined example of Baroque architecture. Juvarra took care of every detail, from the interior decorations to the gardens, making the villa a place of delights and amusements for the House of Savoy. The beauty of the Villa della Regina also lies in its Italian gardens, arranged on three levels and adorned with statues, fountains, and a wide variety of plants. The garden behind the villa is a masterpiece of landscape design, with its semicircular exedra enclosing a small pool and leading to the Grotto of the Wild King, a structure decorated with mirrors and polychrome stones. From the upper belvedere, you can enjoy a breathtaking view of Turin, a panorama that combines nature and architecture in perfect harmony. The history of the villa experienced moments of crisis, especially during the Napoleonic occupation and the bombings of World War II, which caused serious damage to the structures and interior frescoes. In 1869, Victor Emmanuel II donated the villa to the National Institute for the Daughters of Italian Military, transforming it into a college. During this period, many original furnishings were transferred to the Quirinale Palace, and the villa lost some of its original splendor. The decline continued until the 1990s, when the villa was taken over by the Superintendence for the artistic and historical heritage of Piedmont. After long and careful restoration work, which lasted over a decade, the villa was reopened to the public in 2007. Today, Villa della Regina is part of the circuit of the Savoy Residences in Piedmont and has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. The interiors of the villa are richly decorated with frescoes and paintings by artists such as Giovanni Battista Crosato, Giuseppe Dallamano, Claudio Francesco Beaumont, Daniel Seiter, and Corrado Giaquinto. Particularly notable are the four Chinese Cabinets, decorated with lacquered and gilded wood, which testify to the court’s taste for exoticism. The stuccoes, the work of Pietro Somazzi, adorn the main rooms, adding an additional level of elegance and sophistication.