ITALY Daniel’s Gallery, Royal Palace of Turin
Turin: Rise of a Royal City
© AMBRA75/CC BY-SA 4.0
February 9–15, 2021 from £2095 per person | with Alex Koller
• Walk in the footsteps of royalty as we explore the grand churches and palaces of Turin’s visionary Baroque architects • Take in stunning views across the city at the Monte dei Cappuccini • Discover Guarini’s highly original Palazzo Carignano Established under the Romans, Turin in northern Italy was transformed during the 17th and 18th centuries into a magnificent royal city and centre of Baroque architecture. With their idiosyncratic constructions, architects Guarino Guarini, Filippo Juvarra and their pupils were responsible not only for the layout of the city but also for some of the most imaginative solutions in Baroque design the world had ever seen. These visionary designers lent their skills particularly to the churches and palaces of the Royal House of Savoy, whose opulent residences now constitute a UNESCO World Heritage site. Our tour takes us to many of these grand locations, including the Royal Palace of Turin with its rich art collection, Guarini’s Palazzo Carignano with its lavishly frescoed interiors, and Juvarra’s characterful hunting residence at Stupinigi. Juvarra also designed the Grand Gallery and church belonging to the Palace of Venaria. Taking the Via Roma, we will wind our way through the architectural marvels
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This tour will be led Alex Koller, PhD. Alex is an expert in art history and architecture, and gained his doctorate from Magdalene College, Cambridge. of Turin’s churches, experiencing the wonderful acoustics of the Chapel of the Merchants beneath its frescoed ceiling. The strikingly eclectic Santuario della Consolata, meanwhile, features a Romanesque bell tower above an elliptical 17th century nave. Our understanding of the developing craft of Turin’s architects is enhanced by a visit to the Superga Basilica. We will stay throughout at the Grand Hotel Sitea, an elegant and architecturally significant establishment dating from 1925, located in the heart of Turin. FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour has a full and comprehensive itinerary, making the most of our stay in Turin, so a good level of fitness and stamina is required. Many visits will be made on foot, and participants should expect to spend a significant amount of time walking – including over potentially uneven ground and cobbles – as well as standing in galleries and at historical sites. Please note that the itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time. Opening times in Italy can change at short notice, so some visits may be reordered.
On this study tour, Alex Koller will examine the reasons for Turin’s late arrival on the scene of great Italian cities; it acquired capital status only in the middle of the 16th century. Alex explains: “The necessity to turn this rather provincial town into something worthy of the residence of the Dukes of Savoy saw an ambitious programme of construction that dominated the subsequent two centuries and peaked in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Guarino Guarini and Filippo Juvarra, neither of them originally from Piedmont, produced some of the most daring and imaginative solutions in the transition from the high to the late Baroque. It would be wrong, however, to reduce Turin solely to the Baroque. The city contains important examples of 19th and 20th century architecture as well.” Day 1 Flight from London to Turin. Transfer to Grand Hotel Sitea, Turin, for six nights. Welcome and introductory lecture. Day 2 Piazza Castello: Duomo and Palazzo Reale (Royal Armoury, Galleria Sabauda, Turin Shroud and gardens). Afternoon: Palazzo Madama (Museum of Ancient Art) and Church of San Lorenzo (designed and built by Guarini). Day 3 Walk along the Via Roma: Piazza San Carlo, Santa Cristina, San Filippo Neri and Palazzo Carignano (unique rounded façade). Continue to the Baroque quarter: Piazza Palazzo di Città (ancient market square), churches including Cappella dei Banchieri e Mercanti (Chapel of Merchants) and Santuario della Consolata (Romanesque bell tower and nave by Guarini). Day 4 Morning: Monte dei Cappuccini overlooking the River Po, followed by Villa della Regina (Savoy Palace designed by Vitozzi) and Superga Basilica (designed by Juvarra). Afternoon: former Fiat factory at Lingotto and Castello del Valentino (including grounds with Borgo Medievale). Day 5 Morning in Carignano for Duomo (striking convex façade), followed by Ospizio di Carità and Santuario del Valinotto (visits subject to confirmation). Afternoon: Palazzina di Caccia at Stupinigi (Museum of Arts and Furnishings) and Castello di Rivoli (Museum of Contemporary Art). Day 6 Castello della Mandria, Royal Palace of Venaria (grand 18th century gallery and church by Juvarra) and Museo Egizio. Day 7 Flight from Turin to London. Cost of £2095 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, dinner with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities. Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £205. TOUR CODE: TURC21
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