| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
|---|---|
_(alternate).svg) Arms of theHouse of Savoy | |
 Interactive map of Residences of the Royal House of Savoy | |
| Location | Piedmont, Italy |
| Includes | |
| Reference | 823bis |
| Inscription | 1997 (21stSession) |
| Extensions | 2010 |
| Area | 370.82 ha (916.3 acres) |
| Buffer zone | 6,931.47 ha (17,128.0 acres) |
| Coordinates | 45°04′21″N7°41′09″E / 45.07250°N 7.68583°E /45.07250; 7.68583 |
  Residences of the Royal House of Savoy Location of Residences of the Royal House of Savoy in Piedmont  Residences of the Royal House of Savoy Residences of the Royal House of Savoy (Italy) Show map of Italy | |
TheResidences of the Royal House of Savoy are a group of buildings inTurin and theMetropolitan City of Turin, inPiedmont,northern Italy. It was added to theUNESCOWorld Heritage Sites list in 1997.
TheHouse of Savoy is an ancient royal family, being founded in year 1003 in theSavoy region (now inRhône-Alpes, France), later expanding so that by 1720 it reigned over theKingdom of Sardinia in northwestern Italy. Through its junior branch, theHouse of Savoy-Carignano, it led theunification of Italy in 1861 and ruled theKingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end ofWorld War II. At this time, KingVictor Emanuel III abdicated in favour of his sonUmberto II but after aninstitutional referendum in 1946, the monarchy was abolished, a republic was established, and members of the House of Savoy were required to leave the country.[1]
In 1562,Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy moved his capital to Turin and commenced a series of building projects using the best architects available at the time. The buildings, lavishly constructed and including embellishments by contemporary artists, were designed to impress the public and demonstrate the power of the House of Savoy. As well as palaces in Turin itself, country houses andhunting lodges were built in the surrounding countryside. All these buildings have been jointly listed as aUNESCO World Heritage Site on the basis that they "represent the best in European monumental architecture from the 17th and 18th centuries, expressing in their style and opulence a potent demonstration of the power of absolute monarchy in material terms".[2]
Residences of the RoyalHouse of Savoy | ||
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| Turin | .svg) | |
| Province of Turin | ||
| Province of Cuneo |
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