One of the sights of Turin is its royal palace. These royals were not your everyday small-kingdom-rulers, although the county and later duchy of Savoy was originally not very large. However, the family extended their reach to Sicily and Sardinia and finally became the kings of Italy in 1861. Thus, the palace needed to reflect their growing importance, including an appropriately grand staircase to impress visitors.
The current decoration of the hall of the Swiss Guards is from the mid-19th century. The hall was named after the military unit that occupied it already in the previous century. It is to be hoped that they appreciated the surroundings.
The Beaumont Gallery is one of the showpieces of the palace and stems from the mid-18th century. It has housed the royal collection of weaponry since the mid-19th century. Not all equipment was for actual warfare – showing off was also essential. A bit like with peacocks.
The Savoyards were in possession of the Turin Shroud and this needed a suitable storage facility – naturally in a chapel that is part of the palace. The shroud is still there behind the grille.
As we are in Italy, an extensive collection of ancient sculptures is required for a fully-equipped palace museum.
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