The Villa della Regina in Turin is one of the main attractions of the city and is included in the UNESCO World Heritage site. This “Villa of the Queen” is situated on a hill outside the city center. Its firs tnucleus was built in the early 17th century.
Villa della Regina Turin
Useful information
Address: Strada Santa Margherita, 79 – Torino. Phone: +39 011 8194484. Opening times: From 10:00 till 18:00. Closed: Mondays. Ticket price: 5 Euros (discount: 2,50 Euros).
History and description
Construction of the villa was commissioned by Maurizio di Savoia. The works took more or less from 1515 to 1619. The gardens and vineyards were modeled on those of Roman villas.
In 1657, his wife Lodovica, had the buildings and gardens enlarged and the buildings themselves refurbished.
When Anne of Orleans, wife of Vittorio Amedeo II, inherited the villa in 1692, it was already known as the “Queen’s Villa”. She also ordered major changes, which were initially carried out under Filippo Juvarra, and later under Giovanni Pietro Baroni.
In the next century, artists such as Giovanni Battista Crosato (1686-1758), Corrado Giaquinto (1703-1766) and Giovanni Dallamano (1679-1758) and the Austrian painter Daniel Seiter (1642-1705).
The stucco decorations were predominantly done by Pietro Somazzi.
These artists did not just work on the Villa della Regina, but also on the various other royal palaces in the city.
In 1868, the villa became the seat of the Istituto Nazionale per le Figlie dei Militari Italiani. This organization, disbanded in 1982, occupied itself with education of the daughters of military men who had no money.
During the 20th century, the villa lost a lot of its splendor. Maintenance was bad and needed works were either not carried out at all or without proper guidance. The war also caused a lot of damage.
It was not until 1994 that proper restorations were carried out and the villa was returned to its former greatness.
The grounds of the Villa della Regina are characterized by pavilions, grottoes, water features and vineyards.