The House of Savoy: A Thousand Years of History and Power — Exhibition

The House of Savoy: A Thousand Years of History and Power — Exhibition at the Castle of the Countess Adelaide

Friday 3 April 2026 at 17:00 marks the opening of the exhibition "The House of Savoy. A Thousand Years of History and Power" at the Castle of the Countess Adelaide — Civic Museum of Susa. The show is on display until 24 May 2026 and inaugurates the castle's 2026 public season, presenting for the first time in Italy the Savoie.live collection.

Savoie.live, an association based in Annecy founded in 2024, works to preserve and promote the historical heritage of the House of Savoy. The choice of Susa is historically significant: in 1046 Adelaide of Turin married Oddone of Savoy at the castle, an alliance that contributed to the territorial growth of the dynasty and eventually to the establishment of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861.

The exhibition, curated by Stefano Paschero (Director of the Civic Museum of Susa) and Claude Duffur (founder of Savoie.live), is installed in the Temporary Exhibition Hall and is structured around six thematic sections that trace the dynamics of Savoyard power:

• cartography as a political tool
• dynastic legitimacy
• law and state administration
• military force and the Risorgimento
• religious devotion as social identity
• culture as a living legacy

The selection includes more than forty original items spanning eight centuries of European history: Dutch maps from the 17th–18th centuries, medieval bronze seals, legal codices, sabres, illuminated books of hours, alpine crosses in gold and silver, royal portraits and musical scores. The layout offers a thematic and educational route to help visitors grasp political, religious and cultural aspects of Savoyard rule.

The exhibition continues into the permanent rooms of the Civic Museum of Susa, where the narrative is told from the local perspective: from Adelaide's figure to alpine fortifications, from the statue of Prince Eugene of Savoy-Carignano to a Risorgimento banner. In this way the museum itself becomes an integral part of the display.

The project is realised in partnership between the Civic Museum of Susa, Pro Loco di Susa APS, Savoie.live, Revejo and Artemide, under the patronage of the City of Susa, and is included in the cultural programme provided by regional law L.R. 11/2018 within the Tournament of Historic Villages of Susa (2025–2027).

Opening hours: Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 14:00 to 18:00. Special opening on Monday 6 April 2026 (Easter Monday) at the same hours.

Ticket: entry to the exhibition is included with the castle admission ticket.

Visitor note: the exhibition is suitable for families, history enthusiasts and school groups; it combines high-value artefacts with interpretative materials to facilitate understanding of the topics presented.