Castello della Mandria, Venaria Reale, Italy

Surrounded by the lush greenery of the Park of La Mandria, the royal apartments of the Borgo Castello provide a fascinating connection between the natural environment and the Reggia.

The existence of a building in the wood is documented since the 18th century, when Victor Amadeus II of Savoy built here the stables of the nearby Royal Palace, within a royal hunting reserve active since the 16th century. Filippo Juvarra worked at the castle in the 1720s. In 1860 Victor Emmanuel ordered the enlargement of the village, turning it into a castle with a surface of 35,000 m2. The new structure had a rectangular shape measuring 280 x 100 m with three internal courtyards. The king wanted here a private residence (not belonging to the royal estates) to live with his morganatic wife, Rosa Vercellana. An apartment was built for her family by Domenico Ferri. In 1861 the structure was expanded with the 'Villa of the Lakes', a neo-Gothic wing and a fountain of a sea horse fighting a triton by Vincenzo Vela. All the edifices, similarly to the Palazzo Carignano in Turin, are in brickwork.

The apartments consist of 20 rooms that offer insights into the choices and the tastes of the king. Now open to the public, they paint an intriguing portrait of this charismatic figure of the Italian Risorgimento.

The Royal Apartments are fully furbished and contain precious objects, artworks, textiles, furniture and furnishings from ancient Savoy collections that allow visitors to appreciate the taste of the first king of Italy.

In 1997, the castle was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list along with 13 other residences of the House of Savoy.

References:

lavenaria.it

User Reviews

María Lucila Abal (8 months ago)
Very nice, well preserved and with a different story behind. Worth the visit and the stroll in the park

Moja Ferrata (9 months ago)
Beautiful royal castle, surrounded by a very large park. We were the only visitors.

Simon Richards (2 years ago)
Charming, friendly and helpful staff. Fascinating interiors, often with beautiful views towards The Alps. They give an interesting glimpse of the domestic life of the king, his mistress and their family. Attractive grounds too.

אולגה מילנר - פלדמן (2 years ago)
Nice pallazzo, the tour is about 45 min. But, and it is a very big BUT. It dies not worth the effort, it is about half an hour waking from venaria palace, you can not do it through the park ( such a pity), thete is no shuttle only yours feet

Jemaima Olori (2 years ago)
A lovely place, although I only saw the inside. It was not clear to me whether I could go outside.

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Sigmaringen Castle

Sigmaringen Castle was first mentioned in the year 1077 in the chronicles of Petershausen monastery. The oldest parts of the castle are concealed beneath the alterations made during the 17th and the 19th centuries. The secret of the earliest settlement built on this defendable rock will never be fully revealed: large-scale excavation work would be necessary, which the extensive land development renders impossible. Judging from the many Roman remains unearthed in the area around Sigmaringen, the 12th century keep known as the 'Roman Tower' could be traced back to a Roman predecessor.

The castle remains that have been preserved (gate, great hall and keep) date back to the Staufer period around 1200. The castle remains were integrated into subsequent buildings. The foundations of the castle buildings are to a large extent identical to the surrounding castle wall.

These remains give us a good idea of how the castle might have looked during the 12th century.

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