8. Turin: Royal Palace and Archaeological Gallery
The itinerary takes place in the royal palace not surprisingly, the unmissable places to visit in turin;you can enjoy a taste of the luxury and elegance of the italian baroque period. Much of the royal palace, including the throne hall, the queen hall, the gabinetto cinese,a jewel of decorative art with walls covered by authentic chinese laquer, the dining room with an elegant table set with beautiful potteries, the stunning ball room, shining with gold and crystals and the queens delivery room can be toured.
Among the fascinating items on show are rich tapestries from France, invaluable far east vases from XVI and XVII centuries and of course stunning furnishings. The visit includes also a quick view of the royal armoury in Turin one of the finest museums dedicated to XVI-XVIII weapons and armories. It was founded by King Carlo Alberto in 1832, and has since grown to house more than 4000 items. There are a few notable weapons here with their own stories. a sword carried by Napoleon Bonaparte in battle, for example, is one of the most famous attractions. You’ll also find several mannequins dressed in armor, and display cases of beautiful yet terrifying weapons. Compared to the other existing tours of the royal palace this tour will give you the opportunity to admire a little precious archaeological gallery too, guarding archeological jewels of rare beauty and value, from the busts of emperors to tablets inscribed with cuneiform characters one of the richest collections in Europe.
Among the most iconic works kept in the Gallery are also the sculptural portrait of Cesare, considered by experts to be one of the most similar to the leader; the Assyrian relief of King Sargon II; the large Etruscan sarcophagus dated to 280-270 BC of Matausna; the mosaic of the singer Orpheus taming the beasts;busts of roman emperors carved in the most beautiful ancient greek marble, ancient roman copies from original greek artists such as Polycletus , Praxiteles and Fidia. Leaving the gallery you can walk through part of the Royal Gardens designed by the french architect André Le Notre to head the nearest exit. Next to the exit you can stop if you like, in a Caffe Reale which stands in a series of rooms that used to house the royal fruitery. Today the shelves are lined with porcelain from the Royal Family’s collections.