Castello del Valentino

Valentino Castle (Castello del Valentino) is a historic building in Turin, a city in northwestern Italy. It is located in Parcodel Valentino and is home to the Faculty of Architecture of the Politecnico di Torino. It was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1997 as part of the Royal Palace of Savoy. History: The name Valentino began in 1275 and appears to be derived from a relic of St. Valentine enshrined in a nearby church. The current building was built for Princess Christine Marie of France, wife of Vittorio Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy, who lived here in 1630. The building is in the shape of a horseshoe, with a tower at each of the four corners, and a broad inner courtyard paved with marble pavements. The ceiling is clearly in the "trans-Alpine" (ie French) style. The building underwent minor modifications in the early 19th century, during which time many of the 17th-century furniture were snatched by French troops. For the next half century, the palace was more or less in disrepair. The building underwent new renovations in 1860, and in recent years has been further restored as the seat of the Turin Engineering Department. Status: Today, it is the central building of the Department of Architecture of the Politecnico di Torino. The historic Botanical Garden of the University of Turin, located in the courtyard of the castle. It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997 as part of the Royal Palace of Savoy. Since 2006, Valentino Castle has been the destination of an air raid on Hannibal.