Departing from Turin
Palazzo Madama & the Royal Castle of Moncalieri: Women of the Savoy Court
Part of the official 'Savoy Royal Residences: Royal Tales' series — Palazzo Madama's Savoy Madams, Moncalieri's royal women, and a Merenda Reale coffee break at a historic Turin café
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$67/ person
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★ (0)
Duration
Half day (4 hours)
Rating
★ (0 reviews)
Languages
Italian, English, French
Group size
Max people
About This Tour
The 'Savoy Royal Residences: Royal Tales' project is a cultural tourism programme funded by Italy's Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with Turismo Torino e Provincia — one of the few government-backed initiatives specifically designed to bring the interior stories of the Savoy royal palaces to life through themed guided experiences. This tour, 'Women of Power,' is one of the series' headline experiences: a four-hour half-day tour led by a specialist guide through two of Turin's most significant Savoy residences, structured around the women who governed from them. Palazzo Madama in Piazza Castello — the medieval gatehouse of the Roman Augusta Taurinorum, rebuilt in the 17th and 18th centuries as a Baroque palace — takes its name from the 'Royal Madams': the Savoy regent queens who governed the duchy of Savoy on behalf of minor heirs in the 17th century. The most significant was Maria Giovanna Battista of Savoy-Nemours, regent 1675–1684, who commissioned the Palazzo's celebrated Baroque facade by Filippo Juvara (1718–21) and effectively ran Piedmontese policy during the most politically complex period of Savoy expansion. The Castello Reale di Moncalieri, 9 kilometres south of Turin, was the preferred summer and autumn residence of the Savoy court and the place where the last king of Italy signed the proclamation dissolving the monarchy in 1946. Here the tour covers Maria Clotilde of Savoy and Maria Teresa Bonaparte — two women of the 19th-century Savoy court with very different histories and very different relationships to power. Between the two residences, a Merenda Reale — a royal afternoon tea break — is included at a historic Turin café: Bicerin (the traditional Turin coffee-chocolate-cream drink), hot chocolate, and Piedmontese pastries.
Highlights
- ✓Palazzo Madama, Turin — a medieval gatehouse rebuilt as a Baroque palace, named for the 'Royal Madams' who governed Savoy as regents in the 17th century; the tour covers the reign of Maria Giovanna Battista of Savoy-Nemours through the palace she commissioned
- ✓Filippo Juvara's Baroque facade on Palazzo Madama (1718–21) — one of the finest Baroque architectural compositions in northern Italy; the building's hybrid character (medieval rear, Baroque front) is explained in the tour
- ✓Castello Reale di Moncalieri — the Savoy court's preferred summer residence; covers Maria Clotilde of Savoy and Maria Teresa Bonaparte, two 19th-century women with contrasting relationships to Savoy dynastic power
- ✓Merenda Reale — a traditional Piedmontese afternoon tea break at a historic Turin café, including Bicerin (the Turin coffee-chocolate-cream specialty), hot chocolate, and Piedmontese pastries
- ✓Government-backed 'Royal Tales' series — part of an official Ministry of Tourism project, with guides trained specifically in the women's history angle of the Savoy residences; skip-the-line entry at both sites
- ✓Wheelchair accessible — both sites are accessible for visitors with mobility limitations; confirm specific requirements at booking
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Itinerary
Palazzo Madama occupies the centre of Piazza Castello — the formal heart of Turin — on the site of the east gate (Porta Praetoria) of the Roman military colony Augusta Taurinorum. The medieval towers flanking the gateway (still visible at the rear of the building) were incorporated into the 15th-century palace of the Princes of Acaja, which became the 'Madama' palace in the 17th century when the Savoy regent queens took up residence here. Maria Giovanna Battista of Savoy-Nemours, who governed as regent from 1675 to 1684 during her son Victor Amadeus II's minority, was the palace's most influential occupant: she commissioned its formal renovation and ran Piedmontese diplomacy through one of the most complex periods of Savoy history, navigating between French and Habsburg pressure with considerable skill. The tour covers her regency and the other 'Madams' through the palace's rooms and collections, which include the Museo Civico d'Arte Antica (Piedmontese medieval art), the Juvara Baroque facade and staircase, and the palace's layered architectural history.
A Merenda Reale — 'royal snack' — at a historic Turin café between the two residences. The Piedmontese merenda tradition (afternoon coffee and pastries) developed in the Savoy court context and gave rise to Turin's distinctive café culture. Included: Bicerin (a layered drink of espresso, hot chocolate, and cream specific to Turin, named for the 'little glass' in which it is served), hot chocolate in the thick Piedmontese style, and a selection of Piedmontese pastries.
The Castello Reale di Moncalieri, on a hill above the Po River 9 kilometres south of Turin, was the Savoy court's preferred autumn and summer residence — the place where kings went when they wanted to leave the formality of Palazzo Reale in the city. The castle has been continuously inhabited by the Italian Army (which uses part of it as a barracks) alongside the royal state rooms, giving it an unusual active-institution character alongside the museum spaces. The tour here focuses on two 19th-century women of the Savoy court: Maria Clotilde of Savoy (1843–1911), eldest daughter of Victor Emmanuel II and first queen of Italy's princely ally, who spent her final decades at Moncalieri after a diplomatic marriage to Napoleon III's cousin and whose cause for beatification was opened by the Vatican; and Maria Teresa of Austria-Este (known as Maria Teresa Bonaparte after her marriage to the Prince of Carignano), whose presence at Moncalieri represents the dynastic web of the 19th-century Savoy court at its most complex. It was at Moncalieri in 1946 that Umberto II, the last king of Italy, signed the constitutional measures during the transition to the Republic.
What's Included
- ✓Specialist guide (Italian, English, or French — confirm language at booking)
- ✓Skip-the-line entry to Palazzo Madama
- ✓Skip-the-line entry to Castello Reale di Moncalieri
- ✓Merenda Reale (Bicerin, hot chocolate, Piedmontese pastries) at historic Turin café
- ✓Transport between Palazzo Madama and Moncalieri (confirm included/excluded at booking)
Not Included
- ✗Transport to/from Palazzo Madama for departure and return (confirm at booking)
- ✗Additional food or drinks beyond the Merenda Reale
Insider Tips
Rating is based on 0 verified GYG reviews at the time of writing (the listing shows a provider rating of 4.6 based on SOMEWHERE TOURS&EVENTS' wider portfolio). The 'Royal Tales' series is Ministry-of-Tourism-funded and uses trained specialist guides; the institutional backing is a credibility signal for a new product.
The tour is offered in Italian, English, or French — confirm your preferred language when booking. Some departures may run in a specific language; private bookings allow language choice.
Wheelchair accessibility is confirmed — both sites have accessible routes. Confirm specific requirements (lift access, etc.) with SOMEWHERE TOURS&EVENTS at booking.
This tour pairs naturally with FILE 6 in the same 'Royal Tales' series — the Royal Gardens day trip to Racconigi and Govone, which covers different Savoy residences in the Piedmontese countryside south of Turin. If you have two days in Turin, doing both gives the most complete picture of the Savoy residential programme outside the main Palazzo Reale.
Palazzo Reale di Torino (the main Turin royal palace on Piazza Castello) is covered separately on this site as a castle/palace page — it is a different Savoy building from Palazzo Madama, despite both fronting Piazza Castello.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 'Savoy Royal Residences: Royal Tales' project?
Royal Tales is a cultural tourism programme funded by Italy's Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with Turismo Torino e Provincia, specifically designed to bring the interior stories of the Savoy royal residences to life through themed guided tours. The programme trains specialist guides in the social and dynastic history of the residences rather than standard art-historical narration, and develops themed itineraries (Women of Power, Royal Gardens in Bloom, etc.) that structure the palace visits around specific narrative threads. This tour ('Women of Power') and the companion Royal Gardens tour (Racconigi & Govone) are both part of the official programme.
What is a Bicerin?
Bicerin (pronounced 'bee-chair-een') is a Turin-specific coffee drink consisting of three layers: espresso at the bottom, thick hot chocolate in the middle, and whipped or frothed cream on top, served in a small cylindrical glass (the 'bicerin' — Piedmontese for 'little glass'). It was developed in Turin in the 18th century and is associated with the Caffè Al Bicerin near Palazzo Madama, which has been serving it continuously since 1763. Alexandre Dumas described it admiringly in his writing; it is one of the few regional coffee drinks in Italy with a specific Protected Geographical Indication-style cultural designation.
Is this the same as the Turin Royal Palace (Palazzo Reale di Torino)?
No — Palazzo Madama and the Turin Royal Palace (Palazzo Reale di Torino) are two separate buildings on the same Piazza Castello, but with different histories and contents. Palazzo Reale was the official Savoy state residence (throne rooms, formal state apartments, the Royal Armoury); Palazzo Madama is the 'Madams' palace, named for the regent queens, now housing the Museo Civico d'Arte Antica. Both front Piazza Castello. The Turin Royal Palace is covered as a separate entry on this site.
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Meeting point
Palazzo Madama, Piazza Castello, Turin — confirm exact meeting point with SOMEWHERE TOURS&EVENTS at booking
From
$67/ person