Moncalieri Castle in Turin is hosting until Feb. 22, 2026, the exhibition-dossier The Princess Who Loved Sport. Suggestions of snow and mountains in the House of Savoy, created on the occasion of the passage of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic flame, scheduled to take place in Moncalieri on Jan. 11, 2026. The initiative is part of the program of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Cultural Olympiad, a path that combines sports, culture and territory, and is promoted in collaboration with the Friends of the Royal Castle and Park of Moncalieri Association. The exhibition also anticipates the exhibition project dedicated to Maria Letizia Bonaparte of Savoy, scheduled for autumn 2026, the year in which the 160th anniversary of the princess’s birth and 100th anniversary of her death will be celebrated. Passionate about sports and motor racing, Maria Letizia is the starting point for an itinerary that explores the relationship of the protagonists of the House of Savoy with mountains and snow, considered places of freedom, challenge and modernity.
The exhibition includes historical photographs, mountaineering-related objects and period materials. The focus is on female figures who lived in or frequented the Moncalieri residence, from Queen Margherita, who promoted the construction of a hut on the Punta Gnifetti in the Monte Rosa range, to Marie Jose of Belgium, who faced extreme temperatures and fierce gusts while climbing the Matterhorn. A selection of period magazines completes the exhibition, offering images of snow and mountains between the 19th and 20th centuries and evidence of the winter imagery of the time. The exhibition is accompanied by three side events. On Jan. 16, at 4:30 p.m., after a guided tour of the castle with director Riccardo Vitale, there will be a meeting dedicated to the mountains with Clotilde Fasolis, a former alpine skier and Italy’s standard-bearer during the opening ceremony of the 10th Winter Olympics in Grenoble 1968, and climber Marco Ciocca. The event is free, but requires reservations at drm-pie.moncalieri@cultura.gov.it.
On Jan. 17, at 10:30 a.m., there is a visit with family activities titled Stories of Snow and Mountains, which allows visitors to learn more about the connection between the Savoy princesses and the winter world. Children and adults will be able to invent and depict new adventures inspired by the objects and photographs on display. The activity is included in the regular admission ticket and requires reservations through the portal https://lavenaria.museitorino.it/categoria/castello-di-moncalieri/. On Sunday, Jan. 18, at 11 a.m., the Ancient vs. Contemporary classical music concert will take place, produced in collaboration with the Musicaviva association. Musicians Sonia Cavallotto on violin and Francesca Cavallotto on clarinet will perform pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach, Georg Philipp Telemann, Niccolò Paganini, Arvo Pärt and others, offering a dialogue between tradition and contemporaneity. Tickets cost 10 euros for full price, 8 euros for over 65s and 5 euros for Conservatory members and students.
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| The princess who loved sports on display at Turin's Moncalieri Castle |
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