Moncalieri Castle

The current layout of Moncalieri Castle dates back to the 17th century and is the result of the expansion of a medieval fortress. In the second half of the 15th century, the building was chosen as a ducal residence by Jolanda of Valois; in 1475 the treaty between the duchess, Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, and Galeazzo Maria Sforza, Duke of Milan, was signed there.

Starting in 1610, Charles Emmanuel I began the expansion works of the ancient manor, continued under Victor Amadeus I and the Royal Madam Maria Cristina of France: over sixty years, with the intervention of architects Amedeo di Castellamonte, Andrea Costaguta, and Carlo Morello, the building assumed its current configuration.

The castle was the preferred residence of Victor Amadeus II, who died there in 1732 after abdicating in favor of his son Charles Emmanuel III. During the latter’s reign, the building underwent numerous interventions under the direction of Benedetto Alfieri; beautifications continued in the time of Victor Amadeus III (who died in Moncalieri in 1796), with the participation of the Messina architect Francesco Martinez.

The arrival of the French troops caused serious damage to the building, which was used as a barracks and military hospital. In 1817, under Victor Emmanuel I, restoration operations began: the three-flight staircase in Carrara marble and the riding school at the end of the main courtyard were built then. During the Risorgimento period, the apartments of Victor Emmanuel II and Queen Maria Adelaide were rearranged and furnished in the eclectic style typical of the second half of the 19th century, almost completely erasing the traces of previous centuries.

On November 20, 1849, the Moncalieri Proclamation was signed here, countersigned by Massimo d’Azeglio, with which the king dissolved the Chamber of Deputies and secured approval from the new Chamber for the peace treaty with Austria.

After being occupied during World War II by Nazi-Fascists, partisans, and finally by displaced persons, in 1948 the complex became the headquarters of the 1st Carabinieri Battalion “Piedmont”. The royal apartments were restored and opened to the public in 1991. On April 5, 2008, the southeast tower of the Castle was hit by a violent fire that made it necessary to close the visiting route and start a new cycle of restorations. Currently, Moncalieri Castle is not visitable but will reopen to the public during 2016.