Castle of Rivoli

The Castle of Rivoli is a former residence of the Royal House of Savoy located in Rivoli, in the Metropolitan City of Turin, Italy. It currently houses the Castello di Rivoli, Museo d'Arte Contemporanea, which was the first museum in Italy dedicated to contemporary art when it opened in 1984. Recognizing its historical and architectural significance, UNESCO placed the castle on its World Heritage Site list in 1997, along with 13 other Savoy residences. The institution promotes the understanding of the present era through art and culture, engaging both local and international audiences while serving as a center for creativity, research, and education.

The original structure likely dates to the 9th or 10th centuries, situated on a hilltop guarding the area behind Rivoli's historic center. Its existence is first recorded in a 1159 diploma by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, which ceded the Rivolese territories to the bishops of Turin. The House of Savoy acquired the castle around the late 12th century due to its strategic position between Turin and the Susa Valley. In 1273, King Edward I of England visited while returning from crusade. The castle served as the first place of public veneration for the Shroud of Turin in Piedmont, ordered by Duchess Yolande during Easter of 1478. Following the 1559 Treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis, which forbade Duke Emmanuel Philibert from residing in Turin until he had a male heir, he made the castle his provisional residence and commissioned architect Ascanio Vitozzi to restore it. The duke signed the Edict of Rivoli here in 1561, replacing Latin with Italian in the principality of Piedmont. After the birth of his heir, Charles Emmanuel I, in 1562, the duke departed for Turin. Vitozzi's project was later resumed by Carlo and Amedeo di Castellamonte, concluding in 1644 with the construction of the Manica Lunga. At the start of the 18th century, French troops sacked and burned the castle during the War of the Spanish Succession. After the 1706 siege, Victor Amadeus II regained the territory and commissioned repairs from Michelangelo Garove and Antonio Bertola. Filippo Juvarra took over in 1716 with a grandiose plan, but only the two eastern symmetrical wings were finished, leaving the facade incomplete. In 1730, the abdicated Victor Amadeus II was imprisoned here after attempting to oust his son, Charles Emmanuel III, resulting in gratings being added to the windows. The castle fell into decline, serving as a municipal casino briefly in 1946, a military barracks in 1863, and a library in 1883 after the commune purchased it for 100,000 lire. Heavily damaged in World War II, it remained abandoned until restoration began in 1979 under architect Andrea Bruno, leading to its reopening as a contemporary art museum in 1984.

The museum holds an extensive collection of modern and contemporary art dating from the early 1950s to the present, with a particular emphasis on Arte Povera. The collection was inaugurated in December 1984 with the exhibition Ouverture, which featured works by artists personally invited by the first director, Rudi Fuchs, including Carl Andre, Donald Judd, and Bruce Nauman, alongside leading Arte Povera figures like Jannis Kounellis, Mario Merz, and Michelangelo Pistoletto. Land artists Hamish Fulton and Richard Long were also represented, as was Joseph Beuys. The permanent collection was the first in Italy to comprehensively document contemporary art, and the museum continues to expand it by commissioning new works specifically conceived for the historic Baroque spaces. The museum organizes four to five temporary exhibitions annually, alongside lectures, film programs, symposia, and educational activities. In 2019, the museum expanded its scope by opening the nearby Villa of the late Turin collector Federico Cerruti, whose paintings, books, and furniture provide a historical contrast to the contemporary art of the main castle.

The permanent collection features prominent works by Italian and international artists. Key holdings include pieces by Arte Povera artists such as Mario Merz, Gilberto Zorio, Giuseppe Penone, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Giulio Paolini, Mainolfi, and Jannis Kounellis. Other significant contemporary works in the collection include Rebecca Horn's Cutting Through the Past (1992-1993), Warlock's Memorial (1995), and Miroir du Lac (2004), as well as Maurizio Cattelan's Novecento (1997), Charlie don't surf (1997), Il Bel Paese (1994), and A Perfect Day (1999). The collection also encompasses historical works, such as Agnolo Gaddi's 14th-century panels Angel of the Annunciation, Christ the Redeemer, and Virgin Annunciate (1387-1388). The museum has hosted major solo exhibitions by artists including Franz Kline, William Kentridge, Joan Jonas, Joseph Kosuth, Dan Graham, Lawrence Weiner, Claes Oldenburg, Coosje van Bruggen, Gilbert and George, Thomas Ruff, and Hito Steyerl.

The castle sits on a hilltop west of Turin, approximately 15 kilometers from the city center. The original complex was conceived as a rectangular plan, developed in height from a raised ground floor topped by two additional stories. The most distinct architectural feature is the Manica Lunga, a lower, detached building connected to the main castle by a narrow pedestrian passage. Measuring 120 or 140 meters depending on the source, the Manica Lunga stretches in a southwest-west direction and was originally designed for representation, as the Savoy picture gallery, stables, and servant quarters. It is the sole surviving 17th-century part of the edifice. After the French destroyed the complex, Victor Amadeus II and his architects envisioned a grandiose structure meant to symbolize the greatness of the House of Savoy and control visual links to Turin via the newly constructed Corso Francia and the Rivoli-Superga axis. The building is constructed of terracotta tiles. The 20th-century restoration by Andrea Bruno intentionally preserved and emphasized Juvarra's unfinished 18th-century design, notably leaving architectural elements like staircases terminating abruptly in empty space. The Manica Lunga was fully restored and inaugurated in 1998 to house exhibitions, educational facilities, and the museum's services.

The Castello di Rivoli is located on Piazza Mafalda di Savoia in Rivoli, Italy. It is owned by the Municipality of Rivoli and operated as a museum. The institution is financed by the Piedmont Region, the City of Turin, and private sponsors. A bus shuttle service connects the museum to nearby Turin. The museum facilities include a 60-seat film theater and a 120-seat conference hall. In 2000, the castle also became home to Combal.Zero, a Michelin-starred restaurant led by chef Davide Scabin. The museum has been led by prominent curators, including the American curator Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, who directed the institution until the end of 2023 after previously leading the 2008 Biennale of Sydney and the 2012 dOCUMENTA (13). In 2024, Francesco Manacorda took over as director.