Palazzo della Prefettura, Baroque palace in central Turin, Italy.
Palazzo della Prefettura is a baroque administrative building in central Turin featuring three floors arranged with perfect symmetry. The facades display elaborate stonework, tall windows, and ornamental details that showcase the craftsmanship and design standards of the period.
Begun in 1738 by Benedetto Alfieri on a plan revised from Filippo Juvarra's earlier scheme, the building was completed by 1756 as the seat of the Regie Segreterie di Stato, the state secretariats of the Savoy kingdom. It housed the interior and foreign ministries and the war secretariats, and Camillo Benso di Cavour worked here. The province of Turin bought it in 1885; the prefecture has occupied it since 1866.
The building housed the Regie Segreterie di Stato, the offices of the Ministers of Internal and Foreign Affairs and of War, making it the political heart of the Savoy state. Here Prime Minister Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, worked toward Italian unification. Since 1866 it has hosted the prefecture offices.
The building is located in the old city center and is easily reached on foot from major squares and landmarks. Note that access to certain interior spaces may be restricted, particularly during official government business or state events.
The palace and the adjacent State Archive are among the first buildings in the Western world designed specifically for administrative functions. From 1866 the prefecture's offices occupied the building, which the Province of Turin bought in 1885. Inside are works painted in the 19th century by the Turin artist Francesco Gonin, occasionally open to the public.
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