Turin, Villa della Regina and Stupinigi
Day 1: VILLA DELLA REGINA
Arrival in the early afternoon and free lunch.
Meeting with the guide for a guided tour of Villa della Regina: a “vineyard” just a stone’s throw from the heart of Turin. Recently reopened to the public after meticulous restoration, Villa della Regina regains its former splendor as a dramatic backdrop to the city. Set in the heart of Italian-style gardens with pavilions, water features, and productive agricultural areas, it was originally the hillside vineyard of Cardinal Maurizio and Princess Ludovica. It later became a charming residence for duchesses, princesses, and queens of the House of Savoy until the 19th century. The residence, with its Royal Apartments overlooking the extraordinary hall, reflects the 18th-century taste for fine arts and exoticism, popular in European courts at the time.
Dinner at a restaurant and overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 2: TURIN AND THE EGYPTIAN MUSEUM
Breakfast at the hotel and meeting with the guide for a walking tour of the historic center: from Piazza Castello, the heart of Savoy power, surrounded by historic buildings (Royal Palace, Palazzo Madama, and the Royal Church of San Lorenzo), continuing to the elegant Via Roma and Piazza San Carlo, the “living room of Turin,” followed by the Risorgimento-era Piazza Carignano and Piazza Carlo Alberto.
Lunch at a restaurant and transfer to the Egyptian Museum.
Distribution of mandatory museum headsets (groups of 20 people max per tour).
Visit to the newly renovated Egyptian Museum, which reopened on April 1, 2015, offering a modern and technological experience. It is one of the largest and most extraordinary collections of ancient Egyptian antiquities in the world, second only to the one in Cairo. The collection began in 1760, and the museum was founded in 1824 by Carlo Felice. It was gradually enriched through the excavations of Schiaparelli, with everyday and funerary objects, as well as unique pieces, including the artifacts from the tomb of Kha and Merit, and the exceptional rock-cut temple of Ellesjia.
Dinner at a restaurant and overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 3: CITY PANORAMA AND PALAZZINA DI CACCIA DI STUPINIGI
Breakfast at the hotel and departure by bus for a panoramic tour of the city, to admire the hills of Turin, passing through the main squares and the historic Valentino Park with its Castle and Medieval Village.
Continuation to the Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi for a guided tour: one of the most extraordinary 18th-century complexes in Europe, built on the land of the first donation by Emanuele Filiberto to the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (1573). It is now owned by the Mauritian Order Foundation.
Construction of the palazzina began in 1729, designed by Filippo Juvarra, and continued until the end of the 18th century, with expansions and completions by Benedetto Alfieri and other architects. It was a leisure and hunting retreat for the Savoy court, a sumptuous and refined residence favored by the Savoia for parties and weddings during the 18th and 19th centuries, and also chosen by Napoleon in the early 1800s. At the beginning of the 20th century, it became the residence of Queen Margherita, and since 1919, it has housed the Museum of Furniture.
After the visit, return to the city for a lunch at a restaurant.
End of services.
