Palazzo Reale

The chosen location was the previous Bishop's Palace, which had been built in the middle of the new capital of Savoy, Turin, during the reign of Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy (1528?1580). Its advantages included an open and sunny position, in addition to being close to other buildings where the court met.[3] The Duke was able to monitor the two entrances of the city (the Palatine and the Pretoria gates) from the Bishop's Palace. The Bishop's Palace in Turin was later captured by the French in 1536 and served as a residence of the French Viceroys of Savoy, who were appointed by Francis I of France. Opposite the Bishop's Palace was the Palazzo Vecchio or the Palazzo di San Giovanni. This building, disparagingly known as Pasta con Tonno (English: Pasta with tuna) because of its architecture, was later replaced by the grand Ducal Palace.[3]