Castello del Valentino

Castello del Valentino
Castello del Valentino, seat of the Architecture Faculty of the Polytechnic University of Turin
General information
Town or city	Turin
Country	Italy

The Castle of Valentino (Italian Castello del Valentino) is a historic building in the north-west Italian city of Turin. It is located in Parco del Valentino, and is the seat of the Architecture Faculty of the Polytechnic University of Turin. It is one of the Residences of the Royal House of Savoy included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1997.

History

The ancient castle was bought by Duke Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy on the advice of Andrea Palladio. The name Valentino, first mentioned in 1275, seems to derive from a saint called Valentine whose relics were venerated in a church which stood nearby.

A cutaway drawing of the palace.

The current structure is due to Princess Christine Marie of France (1606–1663), wife of Victor Amadeus I, who dwelt here from 1630. Architect Carlo di Castellamonte renovated the construction substantially, with the help of his son Amedeo. Works started around 1633 and lasted until 1660.

It has a horseshoe shape, with four round towers at each angle, and a wide inner court with a marble pavement. The ceilings of the false upper floors are clearly in transalpino (i.e. French) style. The façade sports a huge coat of arms of the House of Savoy.

Minor modifications were made in the early nineteenth century; at this time, too, much of the seventeenth-century furniture was carried off by French troops. For the next half century the palace was more or less abandoned and fell into a state of disrepair. Renovations were carried out in 1860 when it was selected as the seat of the engineering faculty of Turin; it has been further restored in recent years.

Today it is the central building of the Architecture faculty of the Polytechnic University of Turin.

The Orto Botanico dell'Università di Torino, a historic botanical garden in the castle grounds.

Notes

Coordinates: 45°03′15.6″N 7°41′07.9″E / 45.054333°N 7.685528°E / 45.054333; 7.685528

Tourism in Turin

Archaeological sites	Palatine Towers

Basilica & Cathedral	Turin Cathedral Basilica of Corpus Domini Basilica of Our Lady Basilica of Superga Santuario della Consolata

Churches	Chapel of the Holy Shroud S Lorenzo Gran Madre di Dio Madonna del Pilone Monte dei Cappuccini S Teresa

Other	Castello del Valentino Mole Antonelliana Palazzo Carignano Palazzo Chiablese Palazzo Madama University Library Villa della Regina Royal Palace with Armory and Royal Library

Theatres	Teatro Carignano Teatro Regio

Museums	Egyptian Museum Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile Museum of the Risorgimento Oriental Art Museum National Museum of Cinema Sabauda Gallery Natural History Museum Ancient Art Museum

Gardens and parks	Parco del Valentino Botanical Garden

Events and traditions	Italian Environmental Film Festival Torino Film Festival Turin International Book Fair

World Heritage Sites in Italy

Northwest	Crespi d'Adda Genoa Mantua and Sabbioneta Monte San Giorgio¹ Porto Venere, Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto, Cinque Terre Corniglia Manarola Monterosso al Mare Riomaggiore Vernazza Residences of the Royal House of Savoy Castle of Moncalieri Castle of Racconigi Castle of Rivoli Castello del Valentino Royal Palace of Turin Palazzo Carignano Palazzo Madama, Turin Palace of Venaria Palazzina di caccia of Stupinigi Villa della Regina Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes¹ Rock Drawings in Valcamonica Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato

Northeast	Aquileia The Dolomites Ferrara Modena Cathedral, Torre della Ghirlandina and Piazza Grande, Modena Orto botanico di Padova Ravenna Venice Verona City of Vicenza and the Palladian Villas of the Veneto

Central	Assisi Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi Etruscan Necropolises of Cerveteri and Tarquinia Florence Hadrian's Villa Medici villas Piazza del Duomo, Pisa Pienza Rome² San Gimignano Siena Urbino Val d'Orcia Villa d'Este

South	Alberobello Amalfi Coast Castel del Monte, Apulia Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park, Paestum and Velia, Certosa di Padula Herculaneum Oplontis and Villa Poppaea Naples Palace of Caserta, Aqueduct of Vanvitelli and San Leucio Complex Pompeii Sassi of Matera

Islands	Aeolian Islands Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalù and Monreale Archaeological Area of Agrigento Barumini nuraghes Mount Etna Syracuse and Necropolis of Pantalica Val di Noto Caltagirone Catania Militello in Val di Catania Modica Noto Palazzolo Acreide Ragusa Scicli Villa Romana del Casale

Nationwide	Longobards in Italy, Places of Power; 568-774 A.D. Brescia Cividale del Friuli Castelseprio Spoleto Temple of Clitumnus located at Campello sul Clitunno Santa Sofia located at Benevento Sanctuary of Monte Sant'Angelo located at Monte Sant'Angelo Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps³

¹ Shared with Switzerland ² Shared with the Holy See ³ Shared with Austria, France, Germany, Slovenia, and Switzerland

Residences of the Royal House of Savoy in Piedmont

Turin	Castello del Valentino Palazzo Carignano Palazzo Chiablese Palazzo Madama Royal Palace of Turin Villa della Regina

Province of Turin	Castle of Agliè Castle of Moncalieri Castle of Rivoli Palazzina di caccia of Stupinigi Castle of Mandria Palace of Venaria

Province of Cuneo	Castle of Govone Pollenzo Estate Castle of Racconigi Reggia di Valcasotto

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