Buildings of historical importance
La Cavallerizza (Torino)
Category: Buildings of historical importance
The complex of the Cavallerizza was built between the mid-sixteen hundreds and the end of the eighteen hundreds. Its function was to house bureaucratic, representative and service offices for the Savoy government. It was designed by Amedeo di Castellamonte in 1673, and later finished by architects Filippo Juvarra, Benedetto Alfieri, Ernesto Melano and Carlo Mosca. This architectural complex housed the riding ground where court games and riding practice used to take place, and also housed the stables and the rooms where the carriages of the Royal family were sheltered. The Cavallerizza was designed as a single unit, made up of an uninterrupted building, which extends over four sides along an outer edge with porticoes. This enormous square space, which was originally cross-shaped, created four courtyards. The central staircase, which had an octagonal shape and was surmounted by a crescent shaped vaulted ceiling, opened where the two buildings met. This complex is one of the most representative examples of the official architecture, measured and sober, that the duke of Savoy and the court architects wanted for Torino, a modern capital on the leading edge. This area, thanks to its individuality, was converted into a space devoted to staging non-conventional theatre. The rooms of the Cavallerizza are not only used for the showing of plays, but also for rehearsals and as storerooms for scenery.
Information
Via Giuseppe Verdi, 9 - 10124 Torino
Tel. +39.011.2481790
