Castello di Rivoli
Well Preserved Renaissance Royal Palace in Italy

The Castle of Rivoli is a former Residence of the Royal House of Savoy in Rivoli (province of Turin, Italy). A castle was probably built here in the 9th-10th centuries, but its existence is mentioned for the first time only in 1159, in a charter by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa that ceded Rivolese territories to the bishops of Turin. The House of Savoy acquired Rivoli in the 11th century. They soon found themselves at war with the local bishop and the castle was damaged. The present building was built in phases between the sixteenth and twentieth centuries.

The building was damaged during World War II, and remained in a substantial state of abandon until 1979, when new works of restoration were begun. In 1984 the castle was reopened as seat of the Museo di Arte Contemporanea (Contemporary Art Museum), one of the most known in Europe.

Unesco World Heritage Site

Unesco name of World Heritage site: Residences of the Royal House of Savoy (added in 1997)

Justification for Inscription: The Committee decided to inscribe this property on the basis of criteria (i), (ii), (iv) and (v), considering that the Residences of the Royal House of Savoy in and around Turin represent a comprehensive overview of European monumental architecture in the 17th and 18th centuries, using style, dimensions, and space to illustrate in an exceptional way the prevailing doctrine of absolute monarchy in material terms.