Rivoli Castle

The Rivoli Castle is a beautiful old home that once belonged to the Residence of the Royal House of Savoy in the town of Rivoli in Metropolitan City of Turin, Italy. Today, the castle is a special place called the Castello di Rivoli – Museo d'Arte Contemporanea, which is a museum for modern and new art in the city of Turin.

In 1997, Rivoli Castle was chosen as one of the important places in the world and added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. It was listed together with 13 other homes that once belonged to the royal family of Savoy. This shows how special and important the castle is for history and culture.

History

The Rivoli Castle was likely built in the 9th to 10th centuries, with its first mention in 1159. The House of Savoy took control of Rivoli in the 11th century, and the castle became an important place for them. Over time, it saw many changes and visitors, including King Edward I of England in 1273.

In the 16th century, the castle was restored and became a home for Victor Amadeus II after he was asked to leave Turin. Later, it was used as a prison and then abandoned. During World War II, the castle was damaged but was restored in the late 1970s. In 1984, it opened as the Museo d'Arte Contemporanea, Italy's first museum for modern and contemporary art.

Renovation projects

The first renovations after World War II were done by the Turin architect Andrea Bruno. The work was not finished because there wasn’t enough money to fix everything that needed fixing. In 1967, Bruno removed parts of the old doorway that were falling apart.

Exhibitions

Since it opened, Castello di Rivoli has shown many art exhibitions inside its Baroque architecture and in other places too. These exhibitions include shows by important Italian and international artists from the 20th and 21st centuries, like aaajiao, Carla Accardi, and many others.

Permanent Collection

The museum’s permanent collection shows key moments in modern and contemporary art from the mid-1960s until today. It includes large, special pieces made just for the castle’s rooms. Some of the most important works are from the Arte Povera movement, like those by Giovanni Anselmo and Mario Merz. The collection also has pieces by famous Italian artists and works from around the world.

In 2021, artist Giuseppe Penone gave the castle over 200 drawings and notes, along with a special piece called Svolgere la propria pelle – finestra (“To Unravel One’s Skin – Window”, 1970-2019).

Cerruti Collection

In 2017, the castle got a big art collection from Federico Cerruti, worth about $570 million. It includes works by famous artists such as Francis Bacon, René Magritte, Amedeo Modigliani, Pablo Picasso, and Andy Warhol.

The castle also has a beautiful garden area, including a small cave called the nymphaeum, built in the 1500s. This garden helps make the castle a peaceful place to visit.

Library

The castle’s library opened in 1999 and has books and videos about art from the 1960s to today. It has around 44,000 books and over 900 videos.

Directors and Board

The castle has had many leaders over the years. The current chair is Francesca Lavazza, and the current director is Francesco Manacorda, who started in 2024. The board and advisory committee include many important people in the art world.

Popular culture

The Rivoli Castle was the setting for the play King Victor and King Charles by Robert Browning.