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The
Castello di Rivoli stands on the remains of an ancient medieval castle that
Emanuele Filiberto had taken over to adapt into a residence for the House
of Savoy. At the beginning of the 17th century, Carlo Emanuele I, who was
born in Rivoli, decided to build a great palace on the site. Ascanio Vittozzi
worked on the project but it was Carlo di Castellamonte who did the actual
construction. The Rivoli Castle is described in the Theatrum Sabaudiae
which contains two images showing a long building beside the residence
crowned by its four angular towers. This long building was the Duke's Picture
Gallery and today is known as the Manica Lunga.
THE JUVARRA PROJECT
At
the beginning of the 19th century with the changing of the political situation
after the period of French domination, the residence in Rivoli, without even
its central part constructed, became a great burden for the Savoia family
to sustain. It suffered the fate of the great Savoia properties, split up
or turned over to the state so that the high costs of upkeep would not have
to be paid out of the royal coffers. In 1860 the complex was rented to the
community of Rivoli which quartered an infantry battalion there and built
a covered passage from the castle to the Manica Lunga. The community
purchased the entire property at a price of 100,000 lira.
Several
contingents of troops resided in the entire building until 1943, improvising
the arrangements and continually damaging the furnishings. During the last
war the castle was hit by fire bombs and occupied by German troops while the
Manica Lunga, already disfigured by the construction of lofts on the upper
level, was divided into lodgings for the homeless and then utilized inappropriately,
at one time or another being the site of a saw mill, a grocery store and a
barn for animals. With the decisive intervention of the Region of Piedmont
and the decision to house the Museum of Contemporary Art at the castle in
1978, work finally began on the restoration of the castle.
With
contributions from the local authority for the Superintendence of Historical
Monuments and the Community of Rivoli the atrium was cleared of the various
superimposed additions to bring the 18th century structure back into view.
This was the first step of a long journey that would lead to the castle's
complete renovation.
Thanks to
the decisive intervention by the Region of Piedmont and the decision to house
the Museum of Contemporary Art in the Castle, the project first planned in
1961 was finally able to be put into effect. Andrea Bruno's project was to
re-establish the building to its early 18th century form, when Juvarra's project
was interrupted. The truncated structures of the entrance hall and the flights
of the great stairway ending in empty space have been kept exactly the way
they used to be to maintain their authenticity, as has the great end wall
of the uncompleted main body of the castle where we can see where the uncompleted
arches and vaults were to have been placed. The use of modern materials and
techniques were allowed to stress the differences between the old and new
structures. The stairway, marking out the various levels and suspended in
mid-air, the walkway that crosses through the great 18th century vault and
the observation point made of steel and glass that juts out of the rough wall,
all underscore the separation of the contemporary from the antique. The atrium
plan was carried out according to Juvarra's design and the decorations of
the interior have been kept as the were.