Palazzo Chiablese (Sito UNESCO)

The Palazzo Chiablese is a building which is part of the Royal Palace of Turin, northern Italy. It was the successive home of the Duke of Chablais and then Carlo Felice, king of Sardinia and Ferdinando the Duke of Genoa. It is today the home of a cultural collection which honouring the history of Piedmont. It is open to the public Wednesday, Thursday, Friday from 14 pm to 18 and during press conferences, cultural events, concerts.

Situated on the Piazza San Giovanni, the Palazzo Chiablese it is today part of the Royal Palace of Turin which was a residence of the Kings of Sardinia-Piedmont. As an extension of the palace, it was the home of Maurice of Savoy and his wife Luisa Christina of Savoy before they moved to the Vigna di Madama outside the capital. It was then used as offices by the court.

From 1753, it served as the residence of Benedetto of Savoy, son of Charles Emmanuel III and Elisabeth Therese of Lorraine it was named after his courtesy title of Duke of Chablais.

Chablais carried out various improvements to the interior of the palace under the direction of Benedetto Alfieri, a popular Savoyard architect of the era. After the death of Chablais it was the home of his wife Maria Anna of Savoy who willed it to her brother Charles Felix, Duke of Genoa who lived there with his wife Princess Maria Cristina of Naples and Sicily. The former died here in 1831. The building was the seat of the provisional government of France during the Napoleonic occupation. It was the home of Camillo Borghese and his wife Pauline Bonaparte.

Restored to the House of Savoy, it was later the birthplace of Margherita of Savoy, daughter of the Duke of Genoa and later wife of Umberto I of Italy.

A century later during World War II, the palace was bombed which caused considerable damage and many furnishings and decorative elements were lost, the property was in the 50s to the State property that used it as the seat of the offices of Superintendents. Later on the palace was converted to provide the dormitories, kitchens and facilities for the pupils of the Istituto Nazionale per le Figlie dei Militari Italiani (National Institute for Italian Soldiers’ Daughters) which was installed there a century later. Till 1995 it was the home to the city's cinema archive when it became the home of the Soprintendenza per I Beni Ambientali e Architettonici e Archeologici – The "General Directorate for the scenery, fine arts, architecture and contemporary art".It is closed to the public except on special occasions.