Palaces & Residences

Palazzo Reale

Royal Palace of the House of Savoy

The Savoy royal palace and heart of the Musei Reali – state rooms, the Royal Armoury, Galleria Sabauda, library and Guarini's Shroud Chapel.

Contents

The residence of the House of Savoy

The Palazzo Reale, on Piazza Castello, was the official residence of the House of Savoy for two centuries and is now part of the UNESCO World Heritage site "Residences of the Royal House of Savoy". Behind its deliberately understated facade lie opulent state rooms with stucco, frescoes, tapestries and gilded furniture – above all the monumental Scala delle Forbici ("Scissor Staircase") by Filippo Juvarra and the sumptuous Throne Room. The palace forms the heart of the Musei Reali museum complex, which brings several highlights together under one roof and one ticket.

What the Musei Reali cover

A single ticket opens the entire route, whose sections connect directly to one another:

Armeria Reale – one of Europe's most important royal armouries, with armour, blades and cavalry harnesses displayed in a grand Juvarra gallery
Galleria Sabauda – the Savoy picture gallery, with Dutch and Italian masters ranging from Van Dyck to Mantegna
Royal Library – manuscripts and drawings, including the famous presumed self-portrait of Leonardo da Vinci
Museum of Antiquities and Roman Theatre – archaeological finds and visible remains of the ancient Augusta Taurinorum
Royal Gardens – the restored grounds behind the palace

Worth knowing: the nearby Palazzo Madama and the cathedral are separate institutions and are not part of the Musei Reali – a common mix-up when buying tickets.

The Shroud Chapel

Accessible through the palace is the Cappella della Sindone, the chapel of the Turin Shroud built by Guarino Guarini. Its dizzying, mathematically constructed dome is considered a masterpiece of Turin Baroque and is best admired from inside the chapel – there's no separate panoramic lift with extra admission here. After a serious fire in 1997, the chapel underwent extensive restoration and is open again.

The Shroud itself is normally kept sealed and not on view; public expositions are rare, and none is announced for 2026. If that's your specific reason for visiting, plan ahead and check before you travel.

What to expect and whether it's worth it

The Palazzo Reale is one of Turin's most rewarding indoor visits: its state rooms convey the Savoy dynasty's sense of grandeur more vividly than anywhere else in the city, and the range from armoury to picture gallery to archaeology makes the complex a small universal museum. For the core visit – the palace and the Cappella della Sindone – 2 to 3 hours is enough; if you also take in the armoury, gallery and library properly, allow more like 3 to 4 hours. Mornings tend to be quieter than afternoons.

Visiting and practical information

The entrance is on Piazza Castello, right in the Centro Storico. It's open Thursday to Tuesday from 9:00 to 19:00, closed on Wednesdays; the ticket office closes at 18:00, and the last admission to the gardens is 18:40. Full admission is €15, just €2 for visitors aged 18 to 25, and free under 18. Admission is free with the Torino+Piemonte Card and the Abbonamento Musei.

Tickets are available on site or in advance through the official Musei Reali online ticketing; groups of seven or more must book ahead. Numerous tram and bus lines serve the Castello stop on the piazza, and the palace is an easy walk from Porta Nuova and Porta Susa railway stations. It pairs naturally with a visit to Palazzo Madama and the cathedral on the same square.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Palazzo Reale closed?+

It closes on Wednesdays. It's open Thursday to Tuesday from 9:00 to 19:00, with the ticket office closing at 18:00 (effective last admission). A common misconception is that Monday is the rest day – that's not the case for the Musei Reali.

What does the ticket include?+

A €15 ticket covers the whole Musei Reali complex – Palazzo Reale, Armeria Reale, Galleria Sabauda, the Royal Library, the Museum of Antiquities with the Roman theatre, and the Cappella della Sindone. It's valid all day. Palazzo Madama and the cathedral are separate and not included.

Can you see the Turin Shroud and Leonardo's self-portrait?+

Usually not. The Shroud is kept sealed and shown only at rare public expositions – none is announced for 2026. The library's presumed Leonardo self-portrait is also, for conservation reasons, shown directly only very rarely.

How much time should you allow?+

For the core visit – the palace and the Cappella della Sindone – 2 to 3 hours is enough. If you also want to take in the armoury, the Galleria Sabauda and the library properly, allow 3 to 4 hours.

Nearby

Turin Cathedral

Turin Cathedral, the Cattedrale di San Giovanni Battista, is the city's only Renaissance church and home of the Holy Shroud. Free admission.

San Lorenzo

The Real Chiesa di San Lorenzo was the Savoy court church – Guarino Guarini's baroque masterpiece with a star-shaped ribbed dome of eight crossing arches.

Piazza Castello

Turin's monumental main square, home to Palazzo Reale, Palazzo Madama, Teatro Regio and San Lorenzo. Free to visit and the ideal starting point.

Palazzo Madama

From a Roman gate through a medieval castle to Juvarra's Baroque facade – Palazzo Madama on Piazza Castello houses Turin's museum of ancient art.

Close-up of an ancient Egyptian granite pharaoh statue in the Museo Egizio in Turin against a dark exhibition backdrop.

Egyptian Museum Turin

Turin's Egyptian Museum is the oldest in the world and, after Cairo, the most important – around 40,000 objects from 3,000 years of pharaonic culture.

Santuario della Consolata

The Santuario della Consolata is Turin's foremost shrine – a Baroque masterpiece by Guarini and Juvarra built around the icon of the city's patron saint.