Carignano Palace (Palazzo Carignano)
Via Accademia delle Scienze, 5, Torino, Piedmont, 10123
Dominating Turin’s majestic Piazza Carignano, the ornate brick Palazzo Carignano is one of the city’s most important baroque palaces, and its main facade is Italy’s only example of the use of the undulating concave–convex–concave shape created by architect Francesco Borromini for a civic, rather than religious, building.
The basics
Built between 1679 and 1685 by Baroque architect Guarino Guarini as a Savoy royal residence, Palazzo Carignano became the occasional home of Italy’s first king, Vittorio Emanuele II, following the country’s unification in 1861; the palace’s elaborate, circular hall also briefly housed Italy’s first parliament. You can view 30 of its sumptuous rooms by visiting the Museo Nazionale del Risorgimento, the largest museum in Italy dedicated to the country’s 19th-century history, today housed in this former royal palace. Join a walking tour of Turin’s historic center that includes a stop at Palazzo Carignano—along with other city highlights like Piazza Castello, Royal Palace, and Mole Antonelliana—to learn about the architectural importance of this palace and the history of Italy’s unification.
Things to know before you go
- A stop at this palace and its museum is a must for architecture and history buffs.
- The museum is accessible to wheelchair users.
- A number of multimedia and interactive exhibits make this museum engaging for older children.
- The museum has restrooms and a coat and bag check.
How to get there
Palazzo Carignano is located in the center of Turin, and can be reached by a number of city buses and tram lines or on foot from the train station and other main sights in the city center.
When to get there
The museum is open daily except for Mondays. It can get crowded during the weekend, so visit on a weekday or first thing in the morning on weekends.
The Museo Nazionale del Risorgimento Tracing Italy’s Unification Struggle
The Museo Nazionale del Risorgimento housed in Palazzo Carignano reopened in 2011 after extensive renovation and is dedicated to the events that brought about Italy’s Risorgimento, or the unification of Italy. Artworks, historic documents, and interactive multimedia exhibits lead visitors chronologically through the years of the unification struggle, explaining the military and political battles along the way. Historic uniforms, dramatic equine portraits of war heroes, weapons, flags, maps, and correspondence reveal how the disjointed Italy of the 19th century was eventually united into one nation.
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