Venaria

Around the middle of the 17th century, Altessano Superiore was chosen by Duke Carlo Emanuele II of Savoy and Duchess Maria Giovanna Battista of Savoy Nemours for the construction of an estate for hunting and leisure. The court architect Amedeo di Castellamonte was appointed to design a palace, a park, a hunting ground in the woods and a village.

Starting with 1699, the architect Michelangelo Garove redesigned the whole complex of Reggia di Venaria Reale into a more imposing and magnificent estate, at the behest of Duke Vittorio Amedeo II. Later, the Duke became the King of Sardinia, and in 1716 he commissioned the enlargement of the estate to the architect Filippo Juvarra.

In the early 19th century, following the arrival of Napoleon Bonaparte in the area, Reggia di Venaria was turned into a military barracks, and a long period of decay followed. A restoration project began only in 1999, and the restored complex was inaugurated on October 12, 2007, a day which marked the rebirth of Reggia di Venaria and its wonderful gardens.

Venaria Reale is located 10 kilometers northwest of Turin, 145 kilometers southwest of Milan, 165 kilometers northwest of Genoa, 335 kilometers northwest of Bologna and about the same distance northwest of Pisa, 410 kilometers northwest of Florence, 415 kilometers west of Venice, 545 kilometers northwest of Perugia, 660 kilometers northwest of Rome, 880 kilometers northwest of Naples, 990 kilometers northwest of Bari, and about 1360 kilometers northwest of Reggio Calabria.

To get to Venaria Reale from Turin, you can take the Venaria Express shuttle bus operated by the same company (GTT), available every day, except Mondays. The trip takes about 45 minutes. From Tuesday to Friday, a ticket costs 1.70€. On Saturday, Sunday and other holidays, the ticket costs 7.00€, and you can use the Venaria Express as a hop on/hop off bus.

You can also reach Venaria Reale from Turin using the bus Line 11, which leaves from the Porta Nuova railway station, or the bus Line SF2, which makes the connection between the Porta Susa railway station and the Venaria Reale railway station.

Other interesting attractions in Venaria Reale are the Church of Saint Hubert (Chiesa di Sant'Uberto), the Church of the Nativity of Saint Mary (Chiesa della Natività di Maria Vergine), and Piazza della Santissima Annunziata.