Reggia di Venaria & Sacra of San Michele｜Italy

The Royal Palace of Venaria, the summer residence of the Savoys modelled on Versailles,extensive Italianate gardens surround this 16th-century hunting lodge built for Carlo Emanuele II of Savoy. The basements now house a historical exhibition that relates the story of the Savoy. The upper floors are given over to changing exhibitions. The Royal Palace is closed on Mondays. Sacra di San Michele A forbidding fortified abbey anchored atop a rocky hill, the Sacra di San Michele. To reach the church, you must climb 150 steps, past 12th-century sculptures, from the Porta dello Zodiaco, a splendid Romanesque doorway decorated with the signs of the zodiac. On the left side of the interior are 16th-century frescoes representing New Testaments themes; on the right are depictions of the founding of the church. If the weather is snowy, the tour guide will suggest an alternative tour.