Villa della Regina
Encyclopedia
The Villa della Regina is a palace outside the city of Turin
, Italy
. It was originally built by the House of Savoy
in the 17th century.
. He died in 1615 and the project was passed over to his collaborators, father and son Carlo
and Amedeo di Castellamonte
. The original building was built for the Maurice of Savoy
during the reign of his brother Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy
. The property was built as a private villa with its own vineyard. In 1637 Cardinal Maurice lost his brother and his sister in law Christine Marie of France
became Regent of Savoy for her young son.
Cardinal Maurice
and his brother the Prince of Carignano
opposed the Regency and fled to Spain. The property was owned by Maurice who died there in 1657 and willed it to his wife Louise Christine of Savoy who also died there in 1692. At the death of Louise Christine, it passed to Anne Marie d'Orléans, niece of Louis XIV of France
wife Victor Amadeus II, Duke of Savoy
in 1684.
She used the Vigno when she could. Most of the present décor of the Vigno is from her lifetime. Her husband was the King of Sicily from 1713 till 1720, when he exchanged Sicily with Sardinia
. From then on, the building was known as Villa della Regina ("Villa of the Queen"). It was here Anne Marie died in 1728. Anne Marie's eldest daughter Maria Adelaide came here and tried to recreate it at Versailles at the Menagerie.
Polyxena of Hesse-Rotenburg, daughter in law of Anne Marie, did some work in the main saloon of the building when she became the owner of the villa in 1728 at the death of Anne Marie.
Inside there are frescoes and paintings by Giovanni Battista Crosato, Daniel Seyter and Corrado Giaquinto in the main room, grotesques of Filippo Minei and paintings by the brothers Domenico and Giuseppe Valeriani in the near rooms; there are also precious Chinese Cabinets in lacquer and golden wood. In the park there is the pavilion of the Solinghi, pagoda building in which the Academy of the Solinghi used to meet; it was a group of intellectuals founded by the Cardinal Maurice.
The Villa was later used by the Spanish Queen of Sardinia Maria Antonietta Ferdinanda
. It remained the property of the House of Savoy till 1868 when it was donated by Victor Emmanuel II of Italy
to the Institute of the Army's Daughters and in 1994 it was given to the State domain.
Damaged in the Second World War, it is today open to the public in order to fund its maintenance.
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It was originally built by the House of Savoy
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia...
in the 17th century.
History
The original structure was designed in early 1615 by the Italian soldier, architect and military engineer, Ascanio VitozziAscanio Vitozzi
Ascanio Vitozzi was an Italian soldier, architect and military engineer....
. He died in 1615 and the project was passed over to his collaborators, father and son Carlo
Carlo di Castellamonte
Carlo di Castellamonte was an Italian architect, civil and military engineer, one of the main exponents of Piedmontese Baroque.Castellamonte was born in Turin. After his studies in Rome, he returned in Piedmont where was assistant to Ascanio Vitozzi...
and Amedeo di Castellamonte
Amedeo di Castellamonte
Amedeo di Castellamonte was an Italian architect, civil and military engineer.-Biography:He was born in Castellamonte...
. The original building was built for the Maurice of Savoy
Maurice of Savoy
Maurice of Savoy was a Prince of Savoy and an 17th century cardinal.-Life:He was the son of Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy and Infanta Catherine Michelle of Spain. Aged 14, in 1607, he became cardinal and bishop of Vercelli...
during the reign of his brother Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy
Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy
Victor Amadeus I was the Duke of Savoy from 1630 to 1637. He was also titular King of Cyprus and Jerusalem. He was also known as the Lion of Susa-Biography:...
. The property was built as a private villa with its own vineyard. In 1637 Cardinal Maurice lost his brother and his sister in law Christine Marie of France
Christine Marie of France
Christine of France was the sister of Louis XIII and the Duchess of Savoy by marriage. At the death of her husband Victor Amadeus I in 1637, she acted as regent of Savoy between 1637 and 1648....
became Regent of Savoy for her young son.
Cardinal Maurice
Maurice of Savoy
Maurice of Savoy was a Prince of Savoy and an 17th century cardinal.-Life:He was the son of Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy and Infanta Catherine Michelle of Spain. Aged 14, in 1607, he became cardinal and bishop of Vercelli...
and his brother the Prince of Carignano
Thomas Francis, Prince of Carignano
Thomas Francis of Savoy was an Italian military commander, the founder of the Savoy-Carignano branch of the House of Savoy which reigned as kings of Sardinia from 1831 to 1861, and as kings of Italy from 1861 until the...
opposed the Regency and fled to Spain. The property was owned by Maurice who died there in 1657 and willed it to his wife Louise Christine of Savoy who also died there in 1692. At the death of Louise Christine, it passed to Anne Marie d'Orléans, niece of Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
wife Victor Amadeus II, Duke of Savoy
Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia
Victor Amadeus II was Duke of Savoy from 1675 to 1730. He also held the titles of marquis of Saluzzo, duke of Montferrat, prince of Piedmont, count of Aosta, Moriana and Nizza. Louis XIV organised his marriage in order to maintain French influence in the Duchy but Victor Amadeus soon broke away...
in 1684.
She used the Vigno when she could. Most of the present décor of the Vigno is from her lifetime. Her husband was the King of Sicily from 1713 till 1720, when he exchanged Sicily with Sardinia
Kingdom of Sardinia
The Kingdom of Sardinia consisted of the island of Sardinia first as a part of the Crown of Aragon and subsequently the Spanish Empire , and second as a part of the composite state of the House of Savoy . Its capital was originally Cagliari, in the south of the island, and later Turin, on the...
. From then on, the building was known as Villa della Regina ("Villa of the Queen"). It was here Anne Marie died in 1728. Anne Marie's eldest daughter Maria Adelaide came here and tried to recreate it at Versailles at the Menagerie.
Polyxena of Hesse-Rotenburg, daughter in law of Anne Marie, did some work in the main saloon of the building when she became the owner of the villa in 1728 at the death of Anne Marie.
Inside there are frescoes and paintings by Giovanni Battista Crosato, Daniel Seyter and Corrado Giaquinto in the main room, grotesques of Filippo Minei and paintings by the brothers Domenico and Giuseppe Valeriani in the near rooms; there are also precious Chinese Cabinets in lacquer and golden wood. In the park there is the pavilion of the Solinghi, pagoda building in which the Academy of the Solinghi used to meet; it was a group of intellectuals founded by the Cardinal Maurice.
The Villa was later used by the Spanish Queen of Sardinia Maria Antonietta Ferdinanda
Maria Antonietta of Spain
Maria Antonia Ferdinanda of Spain was an Infanta of Spain and the youngest daughter of Philip V of Spain and Elisabeth Farnese. She was the wife of Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia whom she married in 1750...
. It remained the property of the House of Savoy till 1868 when it was donated by Victor Emmanuel II of Italy
Victor Emmanuel II of Italy
Victor Emanuel II was king of Sardinia from 1849 and, on 17 March 1861, he assumed the title King of Italy to become the first king of a united Italy since the 6th century, a title he held until his death in 1878...
to the Institute of the Army's Daughters and in 1994 it was given to the State domain.
Damaged in the Second World War, it is today open to the public in order to fund its maintenance.