The Musei Reali (Royal Museums) of Turin are the former residence of the House of Savoy — the dynasty that ruled Piedmont for 900 years, unified Italy in 1861, and built a palace complex that rivals Versailles in scope but receives 1/50th the visitors. €15 buys you 4 museums: the Royal Palace (state rooms, Hall of Mirrors, throne), the Royal Armoury (one of the 3 finest in the world — alongside Madrid and Vienna), the Galleria Sabauda (Van Eyck, Rembrandt, Bellini, Mantegna, Veronese), and the archaeological museum. Plus: Guarini's Chapel of the Holy Shroud (the Baroque dome is an engineering miracle of interlocking arches — the chapel housed the Shroud of Turin for 300 years). Turin museums →
1. Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace): State rooms with Baroque and Rococo decoration — the Salone degli Svizzeri (Swiss Hall), the Alcova di Carlo Alberto, the Sala del Trono (Throne Room with crimson damask walls). The Scala delle Forbici (Scissors Staircase) by Filippo Juvarra — an architectural bravura piece where two flights of stairs interlock without visible support. 2. Armeria Reale (Royal Armoury): One of the world's finest collections. 5,000+ objects — complete suits of armor, tournament armor, Ottoman helmets, Leonardo da Vinci's self-portrait drawing (the famous red chalk profile — displayed periodically, check ahead). 3. Galleria Sabauda: Jan van Eyck — Stigmatization of St. Francis (one of 20-ish surviving Van Eyck panels). Rembrandt — Old Man Sleeping. Giovanni Bellini — Madonna and Child. Mantegna, Veronese, Guido Reni, Orazio Gentileschi. 4. Museo di Antichità: Piedmontese and Mediterranean archaeology — Greek/Roman/Egyptian collections feeding into the Museo Egizio next door.
Cappella della Sacra Sindone (Chapel of the Holy Shroud): Guarino Guarini (1668-94). The dome is the most mathematically complex Baroque structure in Europe — interlocking hexagonal arches spiraling upward, creating a tunnel of light. Damaged by fire in 1997 (the Shroud survived — it's now in the cathedral next door, displayed rarely). The chapel reopened after 20 years of restoration. Royal Gardens: Free with ticket — formal Italian garden, fountain terrace, the city walls walkway.
Piazzetta Reale 1. €15 (all 4 museums + gardens). Open Tue-Sun 9am-7pm. Duration: 2-3h. 10 min walk from Porta Nuova station. Combine: Musei Reali morning → Museo Egizio afternoon (5 min walk — €18) → Mole Antonelliana Cinema Museum evening (15 min walk — €15). 3 world-class museums, 1 day, €48 total. Try doing that in London or Paris.