Palazzo Madama

Palazzo Madama is a large historic building that houses the collections of the Civic Museum of Ancient Art. The visit, therefore, includes two paths that intertwine: one dedicated to the history of the rooms, the other to the meaning of the works of art they house.

The itineraries are developed on four floors, in an itinerary through time: in the basement, at the level of the Roman foundations, the collections of the Middle Ages, with stone sculptures and goldsmiths and access to the Medieval Garden, an oasis of nature and silence of the heart of the city; on the ground floor, where there are the most numerous testimonies of the fifteenth-century castle, the arts from the Gothic to the Renaissance and the Portrait of a man by Antonello da Messina. On the first floor, inside the baroque rooms where the Royal Madame lived, the arts of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, with the picture gallery, the furniture by Piffetti and Prinotto and the sumptuous decorations of the rooms. On the second floor, the decorative arts of all eras: ceramics, ivories, goldsmiths, fabrics, glass ... The Museum was created in 1861 by the City of Turin to collect and preserve the heritage of the region and to collect examples of excellence in artistic production in the decorative arts. You will encounter works by artists and great craftsmen who will help you understand what the culture and taste of an alpine and border region was like, ruled for six centuries by the Savoy dynasty.

Be prepared for a non-linear visit, which will often require the patience to retrace your steps, looking at the floor plan and the hall signs. A complete visit, not in-depth, takes at least an hour and a half; if you do not have the possibility to return, plan your time by choosing in advance the sectors that interest you most. Along the way you will find information on the rooms, in-depth information on the works; Audio guides can be hired at the ticket office, while museum guides, postcards and publications are on sale in the Library (entering the building on the right).