Piazza Carignano and Guarini Curved Brick Facade
Why is it significant?
Stand in the middle of the intimate, aristocratic cobblestone square of Piazza Carignano to behold the astonishing undulating brick facade of Palazzo Carignano, universally hailed as one of the absolute summits of European baroque architecture.
Key Facts
| Place | Piazza Carignano and Guarini Curved Brick Facade |
|---|---|
| Address | Via Accademia delle Scienze 5, 10123 Turin, Italy |
| Geo Coordinates | 45.06920, 7.68550 |
| Part of Walk | Piazza San Carlo, Egyptian Museum and Palazzo Carignano: The Elegant Heart of Turin |
| Generated | Generated |
Stand in the middle of the intimate, aristocratic cobblestone square of Piazza Carignano to behold the astonishing undulating brick facade of Palazzo Carignano, universally hailed as one of the absolute summits of European baroque architecture. Commissioned in 1679 by Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy-Carignano, known as the Mute, and designed by the brilliant friar-architect Guarino Guarini, the central corps displays a mesmerizing wave-like rhythm of concave and convex curves fashioned entirely from custom-moulded terracotta bricks without a single piece of marble, inspired by Gian Lorenzo Bernini's unbuilt Parisian designs for the Louvre. This palace is among the most historic sites in Italy: both King Carlo Alberto in 1798 and Italy's first king, Vittorio Emanuele II, in 1820 were born inside its frescoed salons. Between 1848 and 1860 it housed the Subalpine Parliament, and in 1861 it hosted the very first National Parliament of the unified Kingdom of Italy.
Step through the monumental entrance portal to gaze upon the original Chamber of Deputies: preserved in its authentic 1848 condition with red velvet draperies, gilded wooden galleries, and speaker's rostrum, this is the historic room where Count Cavour and Giuseppe Garibaldi debated the fate of modern Italy.
Inside the palace, magnificent baroque ceilings feature gilded stucco cartouches and classical allegories painted by Stefano Maria Legnani, celebrating the martial triumphs of the House of Savoy. The rear facade of the palace facing Piazza Carlo Alberto presents an entirely different, eclectic white stone exterior built between 1864 and 1871 to accommodate a larger parliament, an expansion left unused when Italy's capital abruptly transferred to Florence.
Notice the historic Ristorante del Cambio directly opposite the palace: established in 1757, it still preserves the corner table where Count Cavour dined daily while watching the parliament windows for votes.
Walk a few paces north to enter beneath the luminous glass canopy of the magnificent Galleria Subalpina.