Brigida Veritas

Beautiful arcade on ground level featuring an intricate and arched leadlight ceiling with interesting clothes boutiques. This building is historic and contains info boards explaining its significance.

I want to rate this place higher but they’ve really undercapitalised this asset big time. So many opportunities to provide the kind of experience that would really captivate visitors and lead to the word of mouth that could really transform the palace and Castel Gandolfo in general into a bigger draw for visitors (such things can transform the economy of an area, so we’re not talking about trivial matters). The palace experience is in two parts: the portrait gallery of popes and the pope’s private rooms on an upper level. Let’s be clear: Pope Francis does not use this property as his summer home, as so many popes before him did, and he never has, electing to have it turned into a museum instead. You know what? I don’t blame him! The place lacks taste and any sense of history. It’s a “daggy” and unconvincing cult of personality experience. The palace is supposedly built on the ancient remains of what WAS the Gandolfo Castle but you wouldn’t know. Even the medieval/rinascimento phases have been all but obliterated. The palace comes across as a great historic place which was renovated within an inch of its life by grandparents with money, no clue about history and an account at Franco Cozzo (Australians will know what I’m referring to here). It’s so sad. The portrait gallery that has even an unreconstructed nerd like me bored to the point I could NOT listen to the audio guide one minute longer, says so much about the lack of thought put into bringing this unappealing residence (aside from its view and its gardens) to the general public. I want to write to Pope Francis and tell him how to fix this mess!!! For a start, include the kitchens as an exhibit with a list of the wacky dishes served up to God’s representative on earth! How about break up the tedious gallery of long nosed popes with cards indicating the historical events that occurred during each of their “reigns” that they had some influence on and/or quirky details about them (eg. had children, were assassinated, etc). I want to see the popes’ bathroom and real throne - some humility would not go astray and, dare I say it, it’s what JC would do! The palace has been open to the public for nearly ten years now, so they should have got this right by now. So it’s two stars from me, but some smart rethinking could EASILY turn this into a five star destination!! PS: I must say that the staff are very eager to please and are affable but it’s all about the lack of interesting curation.

Winter is maybe not the best time to visit, but as an avid gardener myself, I’m always keen to see gardens in all their phases. As you would expect, there’s not a heap of colour in the beds this time of year, and things like roses are flowerless but full of maturing rosehips. The long bed at the base of the high wall is full of hydrangeas with faded blooms that tempt you to imagine them in spring and summer, creating a vibrant band of colour against the interest of the “very old wall”. There are also major plantings of gardenias whose heady perfume must make visitors swoon in the warmer months. Despite these echoes of more fecund seasons, the fact these gardens are highly structured (terraces, reflecting pools, fountains, statues, etc) and built amongst some ancient ruins (a small amphitheater, a long and grand seeming cryptoporticus, other excavations, etc) along with other bits of Roman flotsam and jetsam, means winter is still a good time to have a look. I’m not sure if I lucked out on a weekday tour, but in general the garden is only open on weekends. I saw it combined with a visit to the Pope’s summer “cottage” - I would happily drop the palace and focus solely on the garden on a future visit. My only complaint is they’re a bit precious about only allowing a guided tour and when I brushed my hand against an aromatic plant to identify it, I got a swift reprimand 🥺 so it seems to me that the garden is undercapitalised (although not as much as the palace, but more about that in my palace review).

Aside from the modern art collection being closed due to renovations (reopening in September 2024?) this museum was very enjoyable, from the art collection, the beautiful grounds, the incredibly tame ducks and the gift shop with better than the average choices. Lots of people, seemingly locals, relaxing in the grounds on blankets and towels, enjoying the spring sunshine and a book or a snack or a significant other 😊

I was attracted initially by the medieval architecture of the sides of this building, not the ornate front facade (which is currently undergoing renovation). Learning that the medieval structure incorporated an ancient Roman monumental gate intrigued me even more. The fact it houses galleries on art and archaeology from various eras of Torino’s history was also an attractive selling point. However, what ensured Palazzo Madama was on the top of the list of museums/sites to visit in Torino is the fact that the old moat is now a medieval botanic garden! Ornamental plants, edible plants for the table, medicinal herbs, trees, vines, pergolas, a small but very charming falconry(!), AND places to sit and contemplate all this beauty (just as the medieval princes used to do)!! I would come to this garden regularly for a therapeutic session of relaxation if the entry price wasn’t so high (and I didn’t live on the other side of the planet). Loved it 😊