The castle was probably built in the 9th–10th centuries. Its existence is mentioned for the first time in 1159, in a diploma by EmperorFrederick Barbarossa that ceded the Rivolese territories to the bishops of Turin.
The castle then experienced a period of decline. In 1559, the Treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis forbade Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy from residing in Turin until he had a male child. He therefore resided in the Castle of Rivoli, having it restored by architect Ascanio Vitozzi. In 1562 his heir Charles Emmanuel I was born, and he returned to Turin. Works on Vitozzi's designs were brought on until 1644 under Carlo and Amedeo di Castellamonte, with the construction of the so-called Manica Lunga, intended to house the Savoy Gallery, the sole 17th-century part of the edifice still visible today. Numerous works of art were stolen by French troops in the following years.
At the beginning of the 18th century, the castle and the Manica Lunga were set on fire and sacked by the French, due to the War of the Spanish Succession. After the siege of 1706, Victor Amadeus II regained possession of the territories and ordered the restructuring of the damage suffered, first entrusting the work to Michelangelo Garove, who enlarged the "Manica Lunga", then, after his death, to Antonio Bertola. The latter followed the construction sites for another three years, until Filippo Juvarra intervened in 1716; the famous architect in fact had a grandiose project in mind, but the works were not completed. Only the extensions of the two eastern symmetrical wings were finished, but an unfinished façade was left. In 1730, Victor Amadeus II lived his madness here: despite having abdicated in favor of his son, he refused to let go of business, and tried to oust Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia, who, in concert with his minister, Carlo Vincenzo Ferrero d'Ormea, decided to lock up his father in the residence in Rivoli. For that occasion, the building was modified again: gratings were added to the windows and the access to the Manica Lunga was closed. Then in 1794, some alterations were carried out by Carlo Randoni, for at least partial use of the residence.
19th century onward
Victor Amadeus II commissioned a new façade from Filippo Juvarra, which also went unfinished. After his abdication and failed attempt to regain power from his son Charles Emmanuel III, Victor Amadeus lived here as a prisoner with his morganatic spouse the Marchesa di Spigno. After his death, the castle remained mostly abandoned, until in 1863, when the comune of Rivoli turned it into barracks. Twenty years later a section was used as library.
The edifice was heavily damaged during World War II, and remained in a substantial state of abandon until 1979, when new works of restoration were begun. In 1984 the castle was reopened as the home of the Museo d'Arte Contemporanea, the first contemporary art museum in Italy.[2] In 2000, the castle also became home to a Michelin-starred
restaurant when chef Davide Scabin moved his restaurant Combal there, renaming it Combal.Zero.[3][4]
Renovation projects
The first post-WW2 renovation works were carried out under the Turin architect Andrea Bruno. Unfortunately, the initiative was not completed, available funding being enough only repair of structural damage. In 1967, Bruno proceeded to break down the decaying parts of the atrium, built at the beginning of 900.[5]
The Permanent Collection documents crucial moments in the development of contemporary art in Italy and abroad, from the mid-1960s to the latest currents. It sits at the heart of the Museum activities and includes large permanent installations produced specially for the rooms of the historic royal residence. It comprises some of the most significant Arte Povera works by artists such as Giovanni Anselmo, Alighiero Boetti, Mario Merz, Marisa Merz, Michelangelo Pistoletto; seminal pieces by contemporary Italian artists such as Maurizio Cattelan;[7] as well as important works from the Transavanguardia, Land Art, and artworks reflecting the latest contemporary international expressions.
In 2021, the Arte Povera sculptor Giuseppe Penone donated more than 200 works on paper to the Castle of Rivoli – including autographed work notes, handwritten reflections, design sketches, architectural renderings and photographs linked to major pieces – as well as a version of Svolgere la propria pelle – finestra ("To Unravel One's Skin – Window", 1970-2019) originally presented at the Fridericianum in Kassel in 1972.[8]
Furthermore, Villa Cerruti plays an important role within the complex of the Castle of Rivoli thanks also to its "green" element. As far as the castle itself is concerned, only a small part of the ancient existing garden is still present, namely the nymphaeum. This is an artificial cave constructed at the end of the 16th century on the hillside, lined with bricks, supplied by an underground water cistern and covered with spontaneous vegetation. [10] Through an accurate restoration, this site is nowadays open to visitors who are entertained by water games and music. In addition to this small green area, Villa Cerruti intervenes with its peculiar and rather significant garden. In fact, it presents a place for monastic meditation, an agricultural area with a henhouse and a vegetable garden, a play area with a bowling alley, a panoramic view on the Alps and the wood. The most intimate place of the entire property can be found in the wood and it consists of a dog cemetery, in which Cerruti used to bury his pets. [11] The nymphaeum together with the garden of Villa Cerruti provide the Castle of Rivoli with a green lumb.[spelling?]
Library
The Castle of Rivoli's library has been open to the public since 1999 and specialises in 20th and 21st-century art and theory, with a focus on artists featured in the museum's collections. It includes about 44,000 books and periodicals divided into the following categories: contemporary art, photography, architecture, design and advertising from 1960 to the present day. It also houses an accessible video library with over 900 videos. Since 2009, the Castle of Rivoli Library has been part of the Cobis Coordinamento delle Biblioteche Speciali e Specialistiche di Torino, a local network of specialist libraries.[12]