A guided tour of the city of Turin will take us back in time between archaeological finds, historic buildings, breathtaking views and great masterpieces.

Our journey to the Piedmontese capital will begin with a visit to the Egyptian Museum, the oldest museum in the world dedicated to the Egyptian civilization, second in importance only to that of Cairo. We will tackle a journey through over 4000 years of history among statues, sarcophagi, funerary objects, mummies, papyrus, amulets, jewels in the brand new installation of 2015. The museum was founded in 1824 thanks to King Carlo Felice who bought a large collection of  exhibits initially put together with the Egyptologist Vitaliano Donati and later expanded by Bernardino Drovetti, general consul of France in Egypt. The collection continued to be enriched thanks to the excavations conducted in Egypt at the end of the 19th century and in the 30s of the last century up to reach the extraordinary greatness with the 300,000 exhibits of today to which are added over 26,000 preserved in the warehouses. Walking through the streets of the center, we will head towards San Lorenzo, the Royal Palace church built by the Savoys, designed in baroque style by the monk and architect Guarino Guarini and consecrated in 1680. The history of the church of San Lorenzo is closely connected to that of the Sacra Shroud since in 1578 Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, after the transfer of the capital of the duchy to Turin, he brought it there to allow his veneration to the archbishop of Milan San Carlo Borromeo, who went there on foot as thanks for the end of the plague. On that occasion, during the celebration of Mass, the Holy Shroud was displayed on the church altar.

Not far away, in the heart of Turin, we will be able to admire Palazzo Madama, one of the most representative buildings of Piedmont: today the Civic Museum of ancient art, boasts a centuries-old history that began in the late 1400s under the pontificate of Pope Sixtus IV. We will end this day in the historic center of the city where we will admire the exterior of Palazzo Reale, the historic home of the Savoy family that directed the fate of the city for over three centuries. Today this majestic palace proudly displays the hand of all the famous artists who worked there between the 17th and 19th centuries, making it one of the most important sites of artistic and cultural interest in Turin.

On the second day we will head towards an ancient abbey built between 983 and 987 on the top of Mount Pirchiriano, 40 km from Turin: the Sacra of San Michele, a place that inspired the writer Umberto Eco for the novel The name of the Rose. From the top of its towers you can admire the Piedmontese capital and a breathtaking view of the Val di Susa. Members of the royal family of the House of Savoy are buried inside the main church of the Sacra, dating back to the 12th century. The history, the spiritual value and the landscape that surrounds it make the Sacra di San Michele a unique place where time seems to have stopped. Finally, we will conclude our journey with a dip in the elegant halls, the magical gardens and the court stories of the Reggia of Venaria, one of the most beautiful royal estates in Italy. We will be enchanted by the famous Galleria Grande, where the harmony and proportions given to the spaces, the sumptuous decorations of stuccos, cornices, pilasters have made the Juvarra scenic structure a masterpiece of 18th century architecture. Together with the Galleria Grande, another masterpiece by Filippo Juvarra is the Cappella di Sant’Uberto, titled to the patron saint of hunters as a reference to the hunting destination of the residence. And then again, we will turn our gaze towards the Gardens of the Villa, a magnificent example of the art of the international baroque garden of the 17th and 18th centuries with the Fountain of Hercules, the remains of the Temple of Diana and the garden of Fluid Sculptures by Giuseppe Penone .

A journey into a metropolis of regal elegance that looks to the future with extreme modernity without forgetting its past as a Savoy capital and which has been able to masterfully convert into a present full of cultural initiatives and intellectual depth.

What is included

• Overnight stay (1 night) in 4 * Hotel with breakfast in a double room
• private motor coach transportation as per itinerary (Sacra San Michele, Reggia di Venaria)
• guided tours as scheduled (church of San Lorenzo, center of Turin, Egyptian Museum, Sacra of San Michele, Reggia of Venaria)
• entrance fee to all sites as per itinerary (Egyptian Museum, Sacra of San Michele, Reggia of Venaria
• offer at the church of San Lorenzo
• headsets during the sightseeing tours

What is not included

• Transport to reach the meeting point
• Food and beverage  (if not indicated in the program)
• Tips (optional)
• Personal Extras

To be remembered

• Cancel up to 60 days for a full refund
• 50% refund between 59 and 30 days before the start of the tour
• No refund within 30 days before the start of the tour

The experiences on scheduled dates are in partnership with MILANOGUIDA.

For information and guided tours

Mail duomoviaggi@duomoviaggi.it

Via S.Antonio, 5 MILANO Italy

See general sales conditions here.