Royal Carriages. A ceremonial parade of Popes, Princes and Kings

A unique display of ten marvelous carriages from the 18th and 19th century that were once used by sovereigns for public appearances at official ceremonies. These genuine “art works” provide a magnificent and fascinating illustration of Court history: an invaluable heritage that inspires wonder and awe and that deserves wider recognition of its historical and artistic relevance.
The display includes superb carriages and sedan chairs of the Italian Royal Family from the Restoration times, the Kings of Naples and Sardinia, and the Grand Duke of Tuscany.
The exhibition presents the carriages that once belonged to Carlo Alberto, Pope Pius IX and Vittorio Emanuele II. The display takes visitors on a journey from the times of the Risorgimento to Italy’s Unification and the opulent court of Umberto I and Margherita in Rome, the capital of a country that was finally united.
Also on display is the famous 1789 Berlingotto of Vittorio Emanuele I, the only 18th century Italian royal carriage still in existence and one of the last symbols of the Ancient Regime, that was probably used also at Venaria Reale. 
Also on show are three 18th century sedan chairs, some precious original drawings of carriages, and the imposing “Palombella” – the 1909 automobile, on loan from the National Automobile Museum in Turin, that belonged to Queen Margherita which marked the passage from carriages to cars at official parades.
The display also includes about ten large panel drawings by the architect Gianfranco Gritella depicting scenes from ceremonial carriage parades based on historical iconography.
The exhibition, organized by the Reggia di Venaria, Palazzo del Quirinale in Rome and Polo Museale Fiorentino - Palazzo Pitti in Florence, with the generous collaboration of the Vatican Museums and the extraordinary support of Compagnia di San Paolo, is the first event in the framework of a collaboration between the three capitals of Italy (Turin, Florence and Rome) to promote initiatives and studies on the Courts of Italy and particularly the Kingdom of Italy.