Because of the interruption to the building work at the end of the 18th century, this vast room, over 236 m2, has no decoration but its ribbed ceiling is certainly an important example of the building skills of the labourers directed by Carlo Randoni, built as it is with wooden ribs.
The removal of the floor on the third floor, damaged during the Second World War, and the emptying of the extrados have made it possible to highlight all the structure: both that on the second floor and the normally hidden one on the third.
Andrea Bruno built a passage on the third floor making it possible to see the extrados from above and observe it better.
Did you know?
The bombings
On 24 May 1883, the Castello di Rivoli was sold by the heirs of Victor Emmanuel and Maria Theresa of Austria to the town of Rivoli for the sum of lire 100,000.
After that year, numerous military units were housed within it: the first Brigata Alpina del Genio, a Brigata Bersaglieri, the 25th Reggimento di Artiglieria da Montagna. In 1927, the 1st Centro Contraerei moved in, and in 1932 the self-propelled 1st Reggimento Artiglieria Contraerei with 800 soldiers led by Umberto, Prince of Piedmont.
The Second World War caused great damage to the structure and decorations of the main rooms, occupied by the Germans: in the night between the 16 and 17 August 1943 incendiary bombs dropped by the Americans repeatedly struck the roofs of the Castello.
The last tragic pages were written after 8 September 1943, when the complex was sacked and in August 1944, when the partisans attacked the German troops barricaded within.
In 1946, the first emergency work was started, concentrating on the roofs, but as soon as the war was over, the damage was not sufficient to prevent the opening of a casino, which proved a complete failure.