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This hunting lodge was built on the land donated by Emanuele Filiberto to the Order of the Saints Maurizio and Lazzaro, in 1573, along the avenue to Piazza Castello in Turin. The construction started in 1729, based on a project by Filippo Juvarra; the structure was to erected as a Savoy residence for hunting and leisure. It was then enlarged and enriched by other architects including Benedetto Alfieri, Giovanni Tommaso Prunotto, Ignazio Birago di Borgaro, Ludovico Bo, and Ignazio Bertola. Today it belongs to the Mauritian Order Foundation.

The elegant lodge still retains its original furnishings, paintings, carpentry masterpieces and original layout; since 1919, it has been home to the Furniture Museum.

The typical visit would start in the stables designed by architect Juvarra, now housing the original sculpture of the deer by Francesco Ladatte. Visitors can then enter the library and the anti-library, eventually reaching the central hall with an elliptical shape. From there, the ancient chapel and the Chapel of St. Uberto (protector of the hunters) can be accessed.
Visitors will eventually enter the beautiful Levante apartment, designed for the Dukes of Chiablese.
Eventually, the lodge features a series of Chinese Cabinets, the “Living Room of Mirrors”, the room with Paolina Borghese’s bathtub, and the “Game Room”, where the furniture is a mix of “chinoiserie” and leisure items.

The park

Originally, a large French-style garden outside the building used to welcome the guests, but in the XIX century, it gradually lost its formal look and geometry, thus becoming a landscaped English-style park.

Currently, the park is closed to the public but the parterres in front of the building can still be visited – they have been recently built on an exclusive Juvarra’s project.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)