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A Jacobite Gazetteer - Italy
Racconigi - Castello |
The town of Racconigi is located 40 kilometres south of Turin. It is dominated by the castle which was formerly owned by the Carignano branch of the House of Savoy. Neither King Charles IV (King Charles Emanuel IV of Sardinia), King Victor (King Victor Emanuel I of Sardinia), nor their families ever lived in the castle. However, nowhere else can one see such a large number of their portraits. In the 1930s the Prince of Piedmont (later King Umberto II of Italy) brought together here a massive collection of portraits of members of the Savoy family. In the summer of 1901 Rupert, Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay (later King Rupert) and his first wife Marie Gabrielle visited Racconigi as the guests of King Victor Emanuel III of Italy. 1 The castle can only be visited on a guided tour. The tour is very extensive (almost all the major rooms on the first and second floors are seen), but also very rapid. Virtually none of the paintings or busts have name tags. One must come prepared with a good knowledge of the likenesses of the Savoy princes in order to quickly identify those of Jacobite interest. |
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The tour of the first floor begins in the long Galleria dei Ritratti (Gallery of the Portraits); there are two marble busts which may be King Charles IV and Queen Marie-Clothilde. The tour turns left into the Galleria del Cardinale (Gallery of the Cardinal); on the right in room 14 there is a portrait which may be King Charles IV. In the room just before the Appartamento Cinese (Chinese Apartment) there is an oil portrait by Francesco Antonio Mayerle of King Charles IV when Prince of Piedmont with his mother Maria Antonia, Duchess of Savoy (born Infanta of Spain). It was painted in 1755 when Charles was only four years old. He is shown standing on a pedestal and wearing a red dress. In the background can be seen the goddess Athena. 2 In the Sala di Recivimento (Receiving Room) are matching portraits of the younger brother of King Charles IV and King Victor, King Charles Felix of Sardinia and his wife Maria Cristina. In the Sala del billiardo (Billiard Room) there is a marble bust which may be King Victor. |
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In the Galleria di Eolo hangs an oil painting by Luigi Bernero of the family of King Victor. 3 Victor is shown standing at the left in front of a table on which is a crown resting upon a pillow. He wears a blue military uniform and holds a letter in his right hand. His wife Maria Teresa sits holding a miniature portrait; the miniature is probably either her eldest daughter Maria Beatrice (later Queen Mary II and II) or her deceased son Prince Charles Emanuel of Savoy). Next to Maria Teresa are her younger daughters Maria Teresa and Maria Anna, and in front Maria Cristina. In the background can be seen the facade of Palazzo Madama in Turin.
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Over the bed in the Camera da letto della Regina Elena (Bedroom of Queen Elena) hangs a copy of a painting by Bernardino Nocchi of Queen Clotilde (wife of King Charles IV). 4 Clotilde is shown kneeling at prayer before a crucifix and an open book. She wears the blue dress and white folded linen cap which she invariably wore as a sign of penance from 1794 until her death. 5 Around her neck she wears a medallion (probably of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, but possibly the same cameo of her husband seen in her portrait in the Sala Legio). Behind her is a chair on which rests an ermine cape and a crown.
In the Salone Giallo (Yellow Room) - later the antechamber to the bedroom of King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy - hangs a three-quarter length portrait of King Charles IV; it is on the wall opposite the windows. 6
In the Sala del Pranzo (Dining Room - not to be confused with the one on the first floor) hangs a portrait of King Victor. He wears a dark military uniform with a feluca. On his boots are spurs. In the background can be seen the Castello di Moncalieri. In the Salone Giallo (Yellow Room - not to be confused with the one on the first floor) are a bas relief of King Victor, an oval portrait of King Charles IV, and many other portraits of members of the Royal Family. In a neighbouring room are small oval portraits of King Charles IV and (probably) King Victor. |
In front of a mirror in the Sala dei Cignaroli (named after the artist Vittorio Amedeo Cignaroli; also called the Sala Verde, Green Room) hangs a portrait by Giovanni Panealbo of Queen Maria Teresa (wife of King Victor) when still Duchess of Aosta. 7 She is shown standing with a letter in her right hand. Also in the Sala dei Cignaroli are two pairs of bas reliefs of King Charles IV and his wife Queen Clotilde. On the window wall are oil portraits of Charles IV and Clotilde (separated by a barometer). There are also several other portraits of Charles IV and Clotilde and other members of the Royal Family. In the Sala Legio are matching portraits both by Giovanni Panealbo of King Charles IV and Queen Clotilde. 8 Charles is shown standing in front of a table; he wears the collar and star of the Order of the Annunciation. Clotilde is shown seated winding wool on a spool; she wears a cameo portrait of her husband suspended around her neck. |
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The room next to the main staircase was formerly the apartment of the sister of King Charles IV and King Victor, Princess Maria Anna of Savoy, Duchess of Chablais (duchessa di Chiablese).
In the first room of the east apartment is a painting of Queen Maria Teresa (wife of King Victor).
At an unknown location in the castle is a pen and ink sketch by Giacomo Pregliasco showing King Charles IV with his wife Queen Clotilde in a chariot. 9 Presumably this was created at the time of their marriage in 1775.
The castle is open daily from 8.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. (entrance €5,00). Telephone: 0172.84005. |
