THERE IS ROYAL AND REAL

Piazza Castello. The centre of Royal Turin, where you can still see and touch the traces of the Savoy Kingdom.
Even if sometimes you don't even notice them, the only real things are the people and personalities who inhabit the square today. Only the present is "real", but not "royal".

KNIGHT TOURNAMENTS AND SKATERS

Royal - Filippo of Savoy, Prince of Acaja was the first aristocrat to live in the square. He had the Castle built here in the 13th century.
His father, Tommaso, had just conquered Turin thanks to a brigandish trick: he had captured Guglielmo VII of Monferrato while he was travelling through France and had obliged him, in exchange of his life, to give up Turin in favour of the Savoys. When the construction of the castle was finished, Filippo of Savoy-Acaja had knightly tournaments and other forms of entertainment organized in the square.

real - Today's entertainment consists in the skaters. Their shows take place behind the castle, on the base of the Duke of Aosta's monument.
Like ancient knights, they ride their loyal boards and duel by performing daring acrobatic feats.
They wear their hoods over their eyes instead of helmets; anyway there is still something which reminds us of knight armour: elbow and knee-savers, essential if you do not want to hurt yourself!

THE OSTENSION OF THE HOLY SHROUD AND THE OSTENSION OF GAZEBOS

Royal - It was Carlo Emanuele I to give Piazza Castello a royal aspect when in 1584 he gave Ascanio Vitozzi the task of restoring it.
To celebrate his son's birth, Carlo Emanuele I had the Shroud (in Turin since 1578) publicly displayed for the first time in Piazza Castello.
When the Savoys ruled, the ostensions of the Holy Shroud took place to celebrate births and deaths.

real - Ostensions are much rarer today, the last one was in 2000. The next will be in 2010. Lots of events take place here: gastronomic festivals, concerts, charitable or commercial events, even if many Turinese shake their heads when they see stalls and gazebos.

Remember the great celebrations held here for the Turin 2006 Winter Olympics, when Piazza Castello turned into Medals Plaza becoming the venue of the award ceremonies.

COURT BALLS AND RAPPERS

Royal - The Castle was converted into Palazzo Madama (foto) by the first Madama Reale (the Royal Madam), who had it refurbished and lived there at length. Her name was Maria Cristina and she was the sister of the French king, Louis XIII. She was left a widow by Vittorio Amedeo I and in 1637 she became the regent in the place of her son Carlo Emanuele II.
The "Madama Reale"(the Royal Lady) had to defend her son's throne against several claimants: first she was attacked by her brother-in-law, Prince Tommaso, and this led to a civil war between those who were on her side and those who were on the side of the prince.Then the throne was claimed by the French, who had supported Maria Cristina against Tommaso, and they remained in Turin until 1660. During Maria Cristina's regency the Royal Palace (foto) was finished and for its inauguration there was a beautiful celebration with fireworks.
The "Madama Reale" loved worldly pleasures, was very fond of dancing and of the court coreographer and stage designer, Duke Filippo of Agliè.For this reason court balls were continuously organized.

real - Today court balls seem unreal if compared with the teens' break dance on the right hand side of Teatro Regio. The loudspeakers play hip-hop music and the city rappers improvise spectacular acrobatic feats: they walk on their hands, turn on their heads... what would Maria Cristina think about it?

THE KING'S GRISSINI AND THE LIGURIAN FLAT BREAD

Royal - Also the second Madama Reale, Giavanna Battista di Savoia Nemours, regent in the place of her son, Vittorio Amedeo II, lived in Palazzo Madama (foto). Today's aspect of the castle is due to the fact that she ordered Filippo Juvarra to restore it, so he built the Baroque façade. Vittorio Amedeo II was the first... real monarch: up to that moment the Savoys had the title of Dukes, while Vittorio Amedeo was the first to wear an authentic royal crown. He became King of Sicily in 1713, with the Treaty of Utrecht, at the end of the Spanish Succession War. During the conflict Turin had been sieged by the French, who were obliged to withdraw thanks to Pietro Micca's sacrifice. Maybe the secret of Vittorio Amedeo's force, who suffered from stomach-ache, were grissini rubatà, invented by the court doctor and by a baker to cure the King's health problems.

real - this real king's food has almost been forgotten and today the people who go to Piazza Castello prefer focaccia to rubatà. They eat focaccia at any time of the day or night!

THE CHANGING OF THE GUARDS PREFETTURA

Royal - In front of Palazzo Reale (foto), Savoy residence between 1660 and 1864, every evening the changing of the guards would take place: a squad of soldiers would march from Piazza San Carlo to the Palace playing the fanfare.

real - Instead of the royal guards today there are carabinieri and policemen, who patrol the Prefettura entrance. Here men in their uniforms look bolder and stiffer, perhaps even stricter... is this the heritage of their predecessors? Don't commit an offence!

PALAZZO MADAMA AND THE LADIES (TURIN "MADAMINE")

Royal - There were so many real events in piazza Castello that they became historical events! In 1848 King Carlo Alberto signed the Constitution; therefore, from that moment on, the Savoy crown became a Constitutional monarchy. Then Palazzo Madama (foto) became the seat of the Senate and it no longer was the home of the regent Queens.

real - Although the "Madame Reali" (Royal Ladies) were "evicted", in piazza Castello you can still meet real 'madame' and 'madamine' (ladies): they are married and unmarried women over 40, always carefully dressed, who walk through the square, in particular on Sunday mornings, on their way to Mass in the Cathedral, or in the afternoon to have a 'bicerin' at Baratti's with their friends. The Regio Theatre is a compulsory meeting place for them. Lots of today's ladies are in no way inferior to the Royal Ladies: they really look like Queens! Maybe because of their haughty manners, some of them are often called "madamasse".

THE CELEBRATION FOR THE ITALIAN KINGDOM AND THE SHOWERS IN THE FOUNTAINS

Royal - At Palazzo Madama (foto), in the Senate hall, in 1859 Vittorio Emanuele I gave the famous speech about the 'cry of pain' which announced the II War of Independence fought to free Italy from the Austrians.
Today nothing is left of that cry of pain, not even an echo, as it was wiped out by the cheers which filled the Senate when, in 1861, the Italian Kingdom was proclaimed.

real - Today Piazza Castello is still full of cheers because young people splash about in the water of the fountains. Some of them may even get soaked! The showers in the fountains of the square, a typical way to celebrate the end of the school-year or the victory of a football team, are so real that they have been immortalized by some films.

Royal Italy was born in Piazza Castello, but in 1864 the capital was moved to Florence. So the Monarch left the square... however, perfectly real is the beauty of piazza Castello.