Palazzo Madama

It doesn't exactly go unnoticed. This distinctive-looking palace stands in the centre of the Castello Square: the white marble front dates back to the 18th century, whilst the other is comprised of two medieval towers. But that is not all, since there is also the old Porta Decumana to be found inside, the old gate as you came in from the east of the city. Over the course of the centuries, the Madama Palace was the residence of the various dukes and kings of the Savoy house, the temporary government headquarters during revolutionary periods and also the site of the prison and a Restoration-style barracks, plus an administrative centre and art gallery. From 1848 to 1864, it was also home to the Senate and the Court of Cessation up until 1923. Since then, it has become the property of the town hall of Turin, which established the Museo Civico di Arte Antica in 1934. It was then re-named 'Palazzo Madama' since Queen Cristina of France (the wife of Vittorio Amedeo I) and Maria Giovanna Battista de Savoie Nemours (second wife of Carlo Emanuele II) lived there. In the 18th century, Filippo Juvarra worked on a totally new front for the building (the very same one we can still see to this day), the former palace and the decorative interior staircase, which is a real masterpiece of the European baroque era.