Palazzo d’Azeglio
Since July 1970 the Einaudi Foundation has been based in the historic Palazzo d’Azeglio in the centre of Turin, courtesy of Fiat, which owned it. The Palace appears today as a combination of different architectural and decorative styles, thanks to the various artistic and cultural influences that modified it within its centuries-old history.
Story
The history of this Palace begins in 1679 when it was built within the second city expansion plan.
For more than two centuries it was home to noble families of the local aristocracy, including the Taparelli d'Azeglio family, to whom it owes its name today.
In 1919 Giovanni Agnelli bought the building for his daughter Tina and her husband Carlo Nasi.
In 1968 the Palace became property of Fiat. Since 2023 it belongs to REAM SGR s.p.a.
The
outside
Over the years the Palace, originally built in 1679 according to the designs of the architect Michele Angelo Garove, went through a series of renovations and changes.
The most incisive works, which significantly changed its aspect, were two: the extension wanted by Ludovico Giuseppe Arborio di Gattinara e di Breme, commissioned to the architect Filippo Castelli in 1788 and the restoration and addition of a floor on the south façade, commissioned by Roberto d’Azeglio to the architect Barnaba Panizza in 1845.
The
inside
Over the years the palace has gone through a process of enrichment and decoration of the interiors (for example in 1872 Francesco Gonin added a tempera painting to the ceilings of one of the halls on the ground floor). Other changes were made in order to adapt the building to the needs of its owners, such as the relocation of the kitchens, the enlargement of the halls and the replacement of the stairs.
In particular, in 1953 the old staircase of the northern wing was replaced with the current spectacular stairway formed of two spiral-shaped flights of stairs, designed by the architect Tommaso Buzzi.
Present
day
In July 1970, the architect Amedeo Albertini was commissioned to carry out important restoration and decoration project to make the building suitable for housing the Foundation's large library and, with it, the scholars, researchers and young fellows who work and study there every day.
The historical, artistic and cultural influences make Palazzo d'Azeglio, with its spaces and garden, the right place to preserve the legacy of Einaudi's heritage, making it a place of encounter and intercultural exchange accessible to scholars.
