Palazzo Carignano

Palazzo Carignano Review

A baroque triumph by Guarino Guarini (the priest who designed several of Turin's most noteworthy structures), this redbrick palace was built between 1679 and 1685 and played an important role in the 19th-century unification of Italy. Vittorio Emanuele II of Savoy (1820-78), united-Italy's first king, was born within these walls, and Italy's first parliament met here from 1860 to 1865. The palace now houses the Museo del Risorgimento, a museum honoring the 19th-century movement for Italian unity. At this writing, the palace is closed into 2011 for restoration.