Founded around the 11th century as a stronghold of the Marca di Torino, at the end of the 17th century the original fortified structure was completely redeveloped by the Savoy family. The northern facade, a striking example of Baroque style, was designed by Guarino Guarini. The mid-eighteenth-century renovation works were entrusted to architect Giambattista Borra, who transformed the southern facade, endowing it with a neoclassical style. He was responsible for the halls inspired by the myths of Hercules and Diana, while the Chinese apartments, full of oriental exoticism, date back to the 1770s.

Subsequently, the identity of the Castello di Racconigi can be linked to the figure of Carlo Alberto of Carignano, King of Sardinia in 1831. Carlo Alberto appointed Ernest Melano to transform the residence, while Pelagio Palagi was asked to design and direct the decoration of the interior spaces, in line with an eclectic nineteenth-century style. To Melano we owe the Cabinet of Apollo, the Gallery of Aeolus, and the precious and unique Etruscan Cabinet, which won an award at the London Exposition of 1851. Today the Castello Reale of Racconigi is a museum complex open to the public and one of the UNESCO properties included in the Residences of the Royal House of Savoy system in Piedmont.

Carlo Alberto’s style is also clearly visible in the majestic 170-hectare park connected to the castle. Originally designed in the 17th century according to the French taste by André Le Nôtre, it was then transformed at the end of the 18th century, succumbing to the charm of the English garden. It was modified by German landscape artist Xavier Kurten, called to Racconigi by Carlo Alberto, the former aligning it with the canons dear to Romanticism. Inside, Pelagio Palagi added the neo-Gothic structures of the Margarìe e delle Serre Reali complex, both a farm and a recreational place for the Savoy court. Reliving the carefree atmosphere of those royal holidays, visitors can spend the whole day there outdoors with children, family, or friends, in a romantic and evocative atmosphere. In the quiet of the park, they can enjoy restful walks and picnics in the shade of the ancient trees, a relaxing stop in the cafeteria set up in the Russian Dacia, a walk with man’s best friend (who’s more than welcome, provided he’s on a leash) observing the majestic storks and the other protected species that inhabit the park.