On the occasion of three anniversaries with a profound civic value, 25 April (anniversary of the Liberation), 2 June (Italian Republic Day) and 4 November (National Unity and Armed Forces Day), six public institutions located in Torino's historical buildings open their doors to offer an unusual itinerary in the heart of the city.
A way to enhance the historical and cultural beauty of the buildings, but also a concrete sign with which to bring institutions and citizens closer together.
The event is promoted by the Città di Torino - Presidenza del Consiglio comunale and the Prefettura di Torino, with the collaboration of the Città metropolitana di Torino, Turismo Torino e Provincia, for the Ministry of Culture, the Musei Reali and the Archivio di Stato di Torino, and for the Fondazione Torino Musei, Palazzo Madama.
Departure: Palazzo Civico, Piazza Palazzo di Città, 1 - every 15 minutes from 2:30 to 3:15 pm
Duration: 3 hours (3 hours and 30 minutes for the 14:30 and 15:00 visits with final tour of Palazzo Madama)
The itinerary begins at Palazzo Civico, the historic home of the city's town hall, and winds its way through its courtly halls, including the Sala Rossa and the Office of the President of the City Council, which will exceptionally open its doors to visitors. Walking along the streets connecting the Palazzo di Città with Piazza Castello, we reach the Musei Reali for a visit to the state rooms of the Palazzo Reale, the command centre of the Savoy dynasty and the first royal palace of united Italy. We ascend to the piano nobile through the Scalone d'Onore, enter the great Salone delle Guardie Svizzere and numerous sumptuous rooms, including the Throne Room and the Council Room, to reach the Galleria Beaumont, where the Royal Armoury is located, housing the dynastic collection of ancient arms and armour, then we walk up the Alfierian staircase, which connects the royal flats with the buildings destined for the Secretariats of State, the Court Archives and the Theatre. From the Palazzo delle ex Regie Segreterie di Stato, the former seat of the Savoy ministries and, since 1866, of the Prefettura di Torino, the itinerary includes the Alfieri Gallery overlooking the Giardini Reali, a view of the row of state rooms, culminating in the office that once belonged to Camillo Benso Conte di Cavour, a small room with blue walls, the closest to the Royal Palace, which has remained intact since his untimely death in 1861. The Prefect's office is also exceptionally open to the public. From the Gallery, we move on to the Council Chamber of the Città metropolitana di Torino, formerly the Provincia di Torino, which, with its decorations, is an interesting expression of the eclectic models typical of the Umbertine period, inspired by the Italian pictorial and architectural tradition, then we reach the Archivio di Stato, whose rooms were designed by Juvarra to preserve the documents of the Archivio di Corte. This part of the visit ends with a walk through the Juvarra staircase, the ancient access and exit way of the Court Archive. The tours starting at 2.30 pm and 3.00 pm will end at Palazzo Madama where, accompanied by the director Giovanni C.F. Villa, we will stop in the Sala del Senato del Regno d'Italia and the Sala Feste.
Accessibility: The route is accessible to people with motor disabilities, with the exception of the connecting staircase between the Armoury and the Prefecture. It will be possible to use an alternative route, with an external passageway, or to enter the Prefecture directly, skipping the Royal Museums, which can be visited at another time.
The groups will be accompanied on the visit by volunteers from the institutions involved, together with secondary school students involved in an alternating school-work project.
The tours are free of charge and booking is compulsory, with a maximum of 30 participants per group. It is necessary to register online and send participants' details to [email protected] within 48 hours.
For access to the Prefecture, an identity document is required. The visits will be in Italian.