Turin, Royal Museums and Compagnia di San Paolo sign protocol for the enhancement of the Royal Gardens

A new chapter for Turin ’s historical and cultural heritage has begun with the presentation to the public of a memorandum of understanding that will see the Royal Museums of Turin and the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation collaborate in an ambitious project to enhance the Royal Gardens. The Salone delle Guardie Svizzere (Swiss Guards’ Hall) of the Royal Palace was the setting for an event that marks the beginning of a path destined to transform the entire area into a meeting point of art, nature and archaeology.

Prominent figures spoke at the presentation, including Mario Turetta, Head of the Department of Cultural Activities of the Ministry of Culture and Deputy Director of the Royal Museums of Turin, Marco Gilli, President of the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation, Alberto Anfossi, Secretary General of the Foundation, and Filippo Masino, Director of the Piedmont Regional Museums Directorate. The project they illustrated is the result of an integrated and ambitious vision, with the aim of returning part of its green and cultural heritage to the city, returning more accessible and functional spaces to the public.

Restoration and accessibility: the focus of the project

The enhancement of Turin’s Royal Gardens involves a set of structural and functional interventions. One of the central points of the project is the restoration of the Royal Greenhouses, an intervention that is about to enter its final phase and that will see the Levante Pavilion transformed into a multifunctional space thanks to a contribution of 880,000 euros from the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation. Here, greenery and culture will meet: the complex will house exhibition areas, restoration workshops, spaces for events and educational activities, and green areas for plant conservation.

The restoration of the Greenhouses saw an initial funding of 12 million euros from the CIPE - Culture and Tourism Plan, was enriched by the contribution of the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation, which will invest more than 1 million euros to complete the project, over the 2025/2028 term. The new entrance on Corso Regina Margherita, which will connect the Giardini Reali to the historic center of Turin, the Porta Palazzo area, and the multicultural neighborhoods of Aurora and Barriera di Milano, represents a real connection between the historic heritage and the daily life of the city.

The restoration of the Greenhouses and their transformation into an open and usable space are only the first step toward an overall re-functionalization of the entire area. With this in mind, one of the highlights of the protocol is the improvement of physical accessibility to the archaeological areas, which will be integrated into the existing museum route, allowing visitors to enjoy a more fluid and enriching experience.

The archaeological trail and the Museum of Antiquities

Another highlight is the opening of a new archaeological route that, on the occasion of the tricentennial of the Museum of Antiquities, will allow visitors to explore the early Christian Basilica of the Savior. This site, which was a key Christian center of the city for more than a thousand years, will finally be accessible to the public, thanks to restorations financed by the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation and ministerial funds.

The restoration of this archaeological area is part of a larger project that also includes the Roman Theater and aims to enhance the city’s Roman and medieval artifacts. The Foundation’s funding of 200,000 euros will enable the implementation of a section dedicated to the archaeology of Turin within the Museum of Antiquities, creating a direct connection between the excavations of the Basilica del Salvatore and the museum section. An intervention that, through the recovery of inaccessible spaces of the Roman Theater and the musealization project of the basement of the Manica Nuova, will complete the public experience, enriching the enjoyment of a heritage that has its roots in the heart of the city.

With the completion of the Royal Greenhouses and the redevelopment of the Royal Gardens, which is expected to take place by the end of 2025, Turin is preparing to offer an even more complete and engaging experience for its citizens and tourists, in a context that enhances the city’s history and contemporaneity.

“The enhancement of the extraordinary architectural system of buildings overlooking the Royal Gardens is an act of conservation, but also an overall design vision that looks to the future, in a continuous dialogue between the past, the present and the new generations,” says Mario Turetta, Ministry of Culture, Head of Department for Cultural Activities and Deputy Director of the Royal Museums. “In addition, the restoration project is part of a broader strategy of redevelopment and enhancement of Turin’s heritage, which includes not only the Greenhouses, but also the surrounding spaces, such as the Cavallerizza Reale, creating an integrated system of green areas, gardens and visitor routes. Our goal is to bring out the potential of Turin as a capital of culture and beauty, while respecting the needs for innovation and development.”

“The agreement signed between the Royal Museums of Turin, one of the most relevant museum entities in Europe, and the Compagnia di San Paolo, a foundation of banking origin that has always been involved in major cultural heritage enhancement projects alongside the Ministry of Culture, aims to share a vision of the future of the Royal Gardens, the green area of extraordinary monumental and environmental value in the heart of the city, as a place where the visitor experience will be enriched by an ever-increasing cultural offering and new services for the public,” explains Filippo Masino, Ministry of Culture, Director of the Royal Sabaudian Residences and head of the Project.

“The Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation collaborates with institutions in a proactive and innovative way by promoting a strategic vision and concerted actions to implement impactful projects. In the field of cultural heritage enhancement, this protocol represents a model of operational practice as well as offering an ideal framework for the creation of a joint technical table between the Royal Museums and the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation, with the involvement of the City of Turin, the Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio, the Metropolitan City of Turin and all public and private stakeholders in the enhancement of the area,” explains Marco Gilli, President of the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation. “Working together, we aim to develop a strategic plan to enhance the entire Royal Gardens area, coordinating interventions and resources to ensure the future of this extraordinary place of culture and its enjoyment by the community.”

“We are convinced that the redevelopment of the Giardini Reali, and in particular the reopening and enhancement of all their portions, is essential to return to the city a cultural heritage of enormous importance for its history and its exceptional location in the heart of the historic center,” says Alberto Anfossi, Secretary General of the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation. “The proximity between the Giardini Reali and the Cavallerizza Reale also offers the opportunity to develop common project paths, enhancing both areas in an integrated and sustainable way. Our commitment to the redevelopment of the Cavallerizza Reale, fits perfectly into this vision, with the aim of making these places accessible, alive and dynamic, and therefore useful to the community.”

Turin, Royal Museums and Compagnia di San Paolo sign protocol for the enhancement of the Royal Gardens

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