Palazzo Madama in Turin

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The Palazzo Madama (also called the "Palazzo Madama and Castle of the Acaja", is a palace in the Via Garibaldi, facing the Piazza Castello of central Turin. The imposing baroque facade designed in 1718 by the architect, Filippo Juvarra, mainly encloses a grandiose staircase, while behind stands a medieval (XIVth century) castle-like square block with four cylindrical end towers. The towers apparently once formed part of a gate for the Roman town of Augusta Taurinorum. With the passing of the Acaja family, the palace becomes property of the ruling Savoy family.

The main attraction of the palace remains the vigorous and symmetric facade and its massive double staircase. The contrast of the fortified window-poor castle with the airy facade could not be more evident; it recalls that the role of housing was moving from that of fortress to a prop for display. Most of the Juvarra facade is merely an excuse for creating a grand entrance to what was otherwise a drab, aging castle. It is now the Turin civic museum of art, and contains both paintings and archeologic pieces.

  • The official site of the museum has wonderful graphics depicting the construction of the palace, its internal staircase,as well as showcasing the contents.[1]
  • Photos[2]
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