Palazzina di caccia di Stupinigi – Hunting Residence in English, is a former hunting castle turned summer residence located just 10km SW of Turin. If you like castles as much as I do, this UNESCO World Heritage Site should be on your list of places to visit.
Inside the Hunting Residence of Stupinigi, one of the more formal rooms. Check out all the artwork on the walls.
As expected in any royal residence, some of the rooms are grand as the one shown above, but it’s much simpler than the Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace of Turin). Now that is something to see if you’re seeking grandiose! Unfortunately no photos are permitted inside that palace, but it’s definitely worthy of checking out and is conveniently located in the heart of Turin near Gelati Pepino, where I did a heavenly gelato tasting.
The Hunting Residence of Stupinigi isn’t exactly slumping it though. It holds its own with an impressive 137 rooms, 17 galleries and over 31,000 sq m. (not all are open to the public). Just a typical summer residence, non? The grounds are equally impressive, as the illustration below shows (photo taken of a sign):
Overview of the Palazzina di caccia of Stupinigi and its extensive grounds. Located 10km SW of Turin.
The highlight of the residence is the main gallery, which also stands out when viewing the residence from the outside:
The main gallery in the Palazzina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site near Turin.
One of the simpler rooms in the Palazzina, most of which are much plainer than the grander Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace of Turin).
But without a doubt, my favorite part of the residence were all the paintings of animals. I tried to ignore the fact that most of these animals were likely hunted, inspiring the paintings. Sometimes that was easy to do as with the cute photo below:
Reflecting its’ hunting roots, many of the paintings in the Unesco World Heritage Site are of animals, like this one.
Other times, not as much:
Painting of wild animals that have been hunted lying in the fireplace.
I took the City Sightseeing bus to the Residence of Stupinigi. It operates two lines and stops at all the major tourist destinations complete with an audio guide so you learn about the highlights while in transit. But on a nice day, I would recommend cycling there instead if you have the time. It’s only 10km from Turin and near the residence there’s a cafe offering outdoor seating. Plus, I think cycling is a great way to experience Turin.
I was only in Turin for three days but visited both the Hunting Residence of Stupinigi and the Royal Palace of Turin. Both are UNESCO World Heritage Sites which is a huge draw for me. I enjoyed visiting both castles, the residence because of its impressive grounds and layout and all the animal artwork inside and the palace for its opulence. Both are worth a visit if you have the time.
Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace in Turin)
Know Before You Go to the Palazzina di caccia di Stupinigi:
- Entrance tickets are €12.
- Allow approximately an hour for your visit, which is enough time to stroll through the residence at a leisurely pace. I did a self-guided tour.
- I recommend cycling to the hunting residence in nice weather, but it’s also possible to go there with the City Sightseeing bus or by train from Turin.
- At the time of writing the residence was closed on Tuesdays – but check in advance with the Turin Tourist Office.
- You can see all of Italy’s whopping 49 World Heritage Sites here.
- I stayed at Best Western Hotel Piemontese, which is conveniently located in the heart of Turin and within walking distance of many tourist attractions. Plus the staff are incredibly friendly.
