T he Medieval Castle at the Valentino wasbuilt to host the Ancient Art section of

the 1884 Turin Expo: along the Po river andsurrounded by walls, the richly furnishedcastle rises above a small cluster of housesand workshops. The buildings and thedecorations are faithful copies of 15th centurycastles as most indications for the furnitureand the settings came from the Civic Museumof Ancient Art. Within this great exhibition,that was meant to promote the industrial,technological and business development ofthe city, the medieval castle was intended asan educational and promotional tool. Theidea of the organizing Committee was to offeran artistic and evocative example of thegothic style which characterized 15th centuryin Piedmont: a century of cultural andeconomic growth that blossomed under theduchy of Amedeo VIII, leaving manyimportant monuments throughout the regionthat needed to be preserved and enhanced, asmost of them were still unknown, even toscholars. Such models of taste and techniquewere presented as a precious lesson for thelocal industry and handicraft, to encouragethe production of historically inspired worksof high artistic level.Many scholars, historians, technicians andartists of the time took part in the planningof the castle, under the supervision ofarchitect Alfredo D’Andrade, together withartist and connoisseur Vittorio Avondo,already curator of the restoration of theIssogne castle in the Valley of Aosta, andRiccardo Brayda.

BORGO E ROCCAMEDIEVALEDI TORINO

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Borgo Medievale TorinoParco del ValentinoViale Virgilio 10710126 Torino

HOURS OF OPERATION BORGOApril – October: 9 am – 8 pm November – March: 9 am – 7 pmFree admissionROCCATue – Sun: 10 am – 6 pmLast entrance: 5.15 pmMondays closed

INFORMATIONTel. 011.443.1701/02borgomedievale@fondazionetorinomusei.itwww.borgomedievaletorino.it

ADMISSION ROCCAAdults: 5 euros Concessions: 4 euros

EDUCATIONALProgrammes and guided tours011.443.17.10/12

DISABLED ACCESS Is limited as the Rocca is noteasily reachable

OTHER SERVICESartisan shops • refreshment roomrent of museum spaces

TRANSPORTATIONBus n. 42, 45, 67 • tram 9, 16, 18

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THE CASTLE

GROUND LEVEL

1. Entrance2. Entrance Hall3. Inner Bailey4. Armory5. Kitchen6. Dining Hall

UNDERGROUND LEVEL

7. Prisons

FIRST FLOOR

8. Guardian’s Room9. Anteroom

to Great Chamber 10. Great Chamber11. Bedroom12. Oratory13. Maid's Chamber14. Chapel

THE VILLAGE1. Carved wooden Cross

(from the original in Fénis Castle)2. Rampart (from Bussoleno)3. Round angle tower (from st. Giorio Castle)4. Oglianico Tower with drawbridge5/6.Ferrier’s oven and shelter (from Susa)7. Fountain (from Salbertrand)8. Pilgrims’ Lodging (from Serravalle Scrivia)9. Bussoleno Main House with blacksmith’s workshop10. Bussoleno Second House with paper mill11. Frossasco House with carpenter workshop12. Rivoli Gate13. Alba House with print shop14. Alba Tower 15. Cuorgnè House

16. Church (from Verzuolo, Cirié, Valperga, Piobesi,Piossasco, Strambino) – Exhibition Room

17. Avigliana House – Ticket Office18. Chieri House19. Tavern Yard (from Chieri, Pinerolo, Avigliana,

Borgofranco with original well from Dronero) 20. Avigliana Tower 21. Pinerolo House 22. Mondovì House23. Pomegranate fountain (reproduction of the

original in the Issogne Castle) 24. Ozegna House 25. Borgofranco House 26. Malgrà House 27. Castle 28. Armory29. Garden of pleasure (Giardino delle delizie)30. Garden of remedies (Giardino dei semplici)31. Kitchen garden

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THE CASTLE

I t is the focal point of the tour inside the Borgo. The lord’s fortified living quarters are characterized

by splendid rooms with gorgeous furniture, fabrics andfurnishings, distinctive of the taste and customs of 15th

century castle life. “The house needs to be vibrating andanimated, everything must be placed as if we were to live itas it was” as the 1884 catalogue read. The armory showsarmors and arms, flasks and hoods; in the dining hall the cupboards reveal embossed kitchenware and potterywhile game hangs in the kitchen…On the first floor, after the throne room with pictures ofthe valiant heroes and heroines inspired by the ChevalierErrant of Tommaso III of Saluzzo, we find the baron’sbedroom, where the great canopy bed stands out withthe coat of arms of Amedeo IX. The enchanting chapel ishighlighted by frescoes by Giuseppe Rollini reproducingthe works of Jaquerio di S. Antonio di Ranverso.

THE VILLAGE

R eproducing 15th centurybuildings found on the

Piedmontese and Aosta Valleyterritory, the Medieval Village is cleverly set so that spaces andpicturesque perspectives multiplyalong the main alley. In 1884, visitors were shown ancientmanufacturing techniques throughthe many workshops that had beenrecreated: from the potter’s to the weaver’s, from thecarpenter’s to the blacksmith’s and the coppersmith’s, as well as the apothecary and a workshop for thereproduction of artistic objects. A landmark in the study of the middle ages and neo-medieval studies, the Borgo hasbecome today a very particular multi-purpose museum,whose objective is to foster and study traditional crafts, to create a fun and learning place for children as well as an interesting tourist attraction, and to carry out differentinitiatives to meet the needs and interests of a diverse public.

EDUCATIONALDEPARTMENT

T he EducationalDepartment coordinates

various workshops forstudents of all grades andworks with their teachers. The educational programmealso includes conferences andthemed tours, together withother activities that involveboth parents and theirchildren, as the specialBirthday celebration at theBorgo Medievale: a specialoccasion to spend an amusingafternoon among thesuggestions of ancient times.

THE EXHIBITION ROOM

S et behind the church façade there is an exhibitionroom where rotating exhibits offer the chance to step

deeper into themes and topics linked with the variouscultural approaches expressed by the museum.

EVENTS

T hanks to its own peculiarities and for the fascinatingposition inside the park of Valentino, the village

houses different events: celebrations connected withseasons and feast days , theatrical and musicalperformances, popular and cultural meetings andoenogastronomical festivals, typical handicraft markets,musical and theatrical guided tours.We invite you to browse the up-to-date programmes on our website or to read the news on our informativepanels along the streets of the village.

THE MEDIEVALGARDEN

R ecreated in 1998, the MedievalGarden includes: the Garden of

pleasure, with roses, primroses, violets andother flowering plants particularly lovedby the Middle Ages courts; the Garden ofsimple remedies, used as medication bymedieval pharmacists and the Kitchengarden full of vegetables and fruit treeswith the willow tree and the rye shed.These various plants, as well as theornamental furniture of the three sectiongarden, have been identified throughiconographic and bibliographic researchand are shown alongside other localbotanical species, all organically grown.The garden houses conferences and eventsdirectly connected with green, nativespecies and medieval culture.

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