FOLLOW THE CLUES

Turn the key to some of Piedmont’s most fascinating sights on this full-day excursion from Turin. Your private guide and chauffeur will meet you at your hotel and drive you to the Sacra di San Michele. Built at different stages between the 10th and 14th centuries, this isolated abbey sits scenically atop the rocky spur of Mount Pirchiriano, 960 metres above sea level. Its otherworldly setting and captivating Romanesque architecture inspired writer Umberto Eco’s best-selling novel The Name of the Rose. Shrouded in mystery, replete with cryptic symbols and surrounded by macabre legends, the Sacra continues to intrigue visitors today, seven hundred years after its completion. Tucked away inside every corner of the abbey lies a gripping story waiting to be revealed. Enjoy unravelling the clues with your private guide.

First of all, it is not by chance that the abbey was built on this site, high up on a mountain. To the medieval monks this must have seemed the most suitable location to honour Archangel Michael, an earthly reflection of the heavenly pinnacle on which he sits, the loftiest of angels. Still more surprising, as your guide will point out, is the fact that the Sacra di San Michele lies in perfect geographical alignment with six other monasteries dedicated to Saint Michael and is a milestone along a mystifying pilgrimage route running from Skellig Michael in Ireland to the Monastery of Mount Carmel in Israel. In order to reach the main entrance visitors are required to climb 243 steps… again, nothing here is random and this number might just conceal another enigma. As you make your way to the top, you will come across the steep stone Staircase of the Dead. Can you guess where it gets its name? Long ago the friars hung their brothers’ skeletons on these walls as a memento mori. Among the sights to reward your efforts once you complete the climb are the sculpted Zodiac Door, frescoes and paintings from the 1500s and the Tower of the Beautiful Alda. The latter is a stark reminder that miracles never happen twice, as you will learn by listening to the legendary tale of a peasant girl who misused heavenly favours and met her fate at the bottom of the precipice.

Take a long last look at the breathtaking views of the Susa Valley stretching all the way to the Alps before setting off for Stupinigi. En route, you may stop for lunch at a traditional Piedmontese restaurant.

In the afternoon you will explore a country palace, once a private residence of the Royal House of Savoy and today a World Heritage Site for all to enjoy. As you approach the mansion, along an elegant hedge-lined path, the reason for its purpose becomes crystal clear. Perched on the summit of the domed roof, a bronze stag indicates that this must once have been a hunting retreat.

The Palazzina di Caccia of Stupinigi is one of court architect Filippo Juvarra’s major achievements and a prime example of the exuberant, whimsical decorative taste that spread throughout Europe in the 18th century, known as Rococò style. Between 1729 and 1733, at the request of King Victor Amadeus II, Juvarra designed and constructed the first nucleus of the residence, transforming a pre-existing complex into a splendid manor house. This structure was enlarged and embellished on various occasions up until the end of the 1700s when the grandiose summer palace we can admire today was completed. With its 137 rooms and 17 galleries, extending over 31,000 square metres and surrounded by enchanting greenery, Stupinigi became the Savoys’ favourite entertainment venue and a sumptuous location for weddings, gatherings and feasts.

Today the palace houses the Museum of Furniture, boasting a precious collection of original furnishings dating to the 17th and 18th centuries, such as chandeliers, mirrors, console tables and cabinets, made by the most talented craftsmen of the time. The palazzo also offers the opportunity to relive the glories of a bygone kingdom and become acquainted with the lifestyle of the Savoy household. Highlights of your tour include the flamboyant central salon, the king and queen’s private apartments and the game room. The profusion of gilded stuccowork, trompe l’oeil frescoes, magnificent tapestries and porcelain ware makes an unmistakable statement about the wealth and prestige of the palace’s former occupants. Your guide will lead you through the halls and bring history to life by painting a vivid scene of courtly life in 18th century Turin. You are sure to take away poignant memories of this royal experience.

After the tour your private chauffeur will drive you back to your accommodation.