Royal Armoury of Turin

Designed by Filippo Juvarra in 1733, it was decorated by the court painter Claudio Francesco Beaumont (hence its name) in 1738–1743, whose oil paintings on the ceiling depict Stories of Aeneas.

King Charles Albert decided to place his collection of arms and armour inside this gallery; most of them came from Turin’s and Genoa’s arsenals, as well as from the museums housed since the 18th century in the Palazzo dell’Università.

In 1836, the king asked Pelagio Palagi to redesign an adjacent room in order to make it the seat of the Medagliere, i.e. a large collection of medals, coins and seals.

The Rotonda became an extension of the original Armoury: arms, flags and other objects connected with the military history of the kingdom of Sardinia after the 18th century were then displayed in showcases in this room.

Among the objects belonging to the collection are the sword of San Maurizio, one of the most important relics owned by the Savoy family, made in the 13th century and still preserved with its 15th-century impressed, gilded and painted leather case; a 14th-century enamel horse bit from Naples; a 16th-century pistol which belonged to the emperor Charles V; precious armour such as count Girolamo Martinengo's corsaletto (breastplate), dating from c. 1540, Henry II’s parade shield (c. 1556 – 1559), and the war and jousting armour made by the Milanese armourer Pompeo della Cesa around 1590; extremely rich arms such as the hunting musket decorated in ivory by the German engraver Adam Sadeler around 1600; the sword used by Napoleon during his campaign in Egypt; guns and rifles owned by Charles Albert of Sardinia and by the kings of Italy Victor Emmanuel II and Umberto I; a Russian model Smith & Wesson revolver dating from the late 19th century.