Is Palazzo Madama in Turin Worth Visiting?
At first glance a Baroque palace on Piazza Castello, in reality a layering of a thousand years of history — Roman gate, medieval fortress, Savoy royal residence, first Senate of the Kingdom of Italy.
Right after leaving the Royal Palace, we entered Palazzo Madama. From the outside, it looks like a fancy baroque palace facing Piazza Castello. But once inside, you realize it's one of Turin's most unique buildings.
Originally, it was a city gate. In the Middle Ages, it became a fortress. Then, in 1402, Ludovico, Prince of Acaia, turned it into a castle.
In the 1600s and 1700s, the Royal Madames of Savoy chose it as their residence. In the 1800s, Carlo Alberto placed the first Senate of the Kingdom of Italy there. The complex also includes the Princess's Garden, which we highly recommend visiting.
The palace is fascinating, and I suggest everyone visit. It features a beautiful historic garden on the ground floor, a panoramic view from above, permanent collections, and a small exhibit showing the building's evolution over centuries. This part impressed me the most: Palazzo Madama feels like a building made by different eras layered over each other. Walking through the rooms, you move from medieval structures to baroque touches, and then to areas tied to the history of the Kingdom of Italy.
A full visit is recommended to last about an hour and a half or two. This time lets you calmly explore the museum's four levels, visit the permanent collections, the Princess's Garden, and climb to the panoramic tower. From there, you get a lovely view of Turin's historic center.
The Princess's Garden
The Princess's Garden is in the moat of Palazzo Madama. It's one of the most unique parts of the visit. It's not just a green space. It's a medieval garden recreated using 15th-century documents. These documents described the palace's space and plant organization.
The garden is divided into different areas, reflecting medieval tradition. There's a vegetable garden for the castle's kitchens, a fruit-tree grove, and the prince's private garden. Walking along the paths, you'll find vegetables, aromatic plants, medicinal herbs, fruit trees, and many plant species. These were common in the Middle Ages but are less known today.
The part I found most interesting is its authenticity. It doesn't feel like a garden made just for tourists. Instead, it's an attempt to recreate a space truly used in medieval times. The plants were for food, medicine, and daily castle life. It feels like stepping into a small world, away from the traffic and hustle of Piazza Castello.
Practical Information
Tickets usually cost between 10 and 12 euros. This depends on the period and temporary exhibitions. There's also a ticket just for the Princess's Garden, costing about 5 euros.
The museum doesn't have its own parking. Nearby, there are public parking lots and spots for people with disabilities, following current regulations. A convenient option for drivers is the underground parking at Piazza Castello. It's just a few minutes' walk from the museum entrance. The cost is about 2 euros per hour.
Like for the Egyptian Museum, I recommend buying tickets in advance during busy times, especially on weekends and holidays.
