Residences of the Royal House of Savoy


World Heritage Identification Number: 823

World Heritage since: 1997

Category: Cultural Heritage

Transboundary Heritage: No

Endangered Heritage: No

Country: 🇮🇹 Italy

Continent: Europe

UNESCO World Region: Europe and North America

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The Residences of the Royal House of Savoy: A Grandiose Legacy of the Savoy Dynasty

The Residences of the Royal House of Savoy, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, offer a captivating glimpse into the grandeur and influence of the Savoy dynasty that ruled the Kingdom of Sardinia, later known as the Kingdom of Italy, for over four centuries. This architectural ensemble, spanning across Turin and the Metropolitan City of Turin in Piedmont, Italy, is a testament to the power, wealth, and artistic vision of the Savoy rulers.

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UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

When Emmanuel-Philibert, Duke of Savoy, moved his capital to Turin in 1562, he began a vast series of building projects (continued by his successors) to demonstrate the power of the ruling house. This outstanding complex of buildings, designed and embellished by the leading architects and artists of the time, radiates out into the surrounding countryside from the Royal Palace in the 'Command Area' of Turin to include many country residences and hunting lodges.

UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site

The Committee decided to inscribe this property on the basis of criteria (i), (ii), (iv) and (v), considering that the Residences of the Royal House of Savoy in and around Turin represent a comprehensive overview of European monumental architecture in the 17th and 18th centuries, using style, dimensions, and space to illustrate in an exceptional way the prevailing doctrine of absolute monarchy in material terms.

Encyclopedia Record: Residences of the Royal House of Savoy

The Residences of the Royal House of Savoy are a group of buildings in Turin and the Metropolitan City of Turin, in Piedmont, northern Italy. It was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list in 1997.

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Additional Site Details

Area: 370.82 hectares

UNESCO Criteria: (i) — Masterpiece of human creative genius
(ii) — Significant interchange of human values
(iv) — Outstanding example of a type of building or landscape
(v) — Outstanding example of traditional human settlement

Coordinates: 45.07253 , 7.68572

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Image of Residences of the Royal House of Savoy

© Benjamin Smith, CC BY-SA 4.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)

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Country Information: Italy

Flag of Italy

Official Name: Italian Republic

Capital: Rome

Continent: Europe

Population (2024): 58,986,023

Population (2023): 58,993,475

Population (2022): 59,013,667

Land Area: 295,720 sq km

Currency: Euro (EUR)

Country Data Sources

Last updated: January 18, 2026

Portions of the page Residences of the Royal House of Savoy are based on data from UNESCO — World Heritage List Dataset and on text from the Wikipedia article Residences of the Royal House of Savoy, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes made. Additional original content by World Heritage Explorer (WHE), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. WHE is not affiliated with UNESCO or the World Heritage Committee. Legal Notice. Privacy Policy.

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