Venue guide

A Castello di Rivoli wedding near Turin

The Castello di Rivoli is a Savoy residence that became Italy's first museum of contemporary art. It does not host wedding ceremonies, but it does host wedding aperitifs, private events and photo sessions with permission. Here is how to plan around that.

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Toghrul NabiUpdated 2026-10-04

A Castello di Rivoli wedding is not a ceremony at the castle: as far as official sources show, neither the museum nor the Comune di Rivoli celebrates weddings there. What the castle does offer is just as interesting: aperitifs for weddings in its café, private dinners and evenings for groups of 50 or more, and professional photo sessions, weddings included, with the museum's permission. I live in Turin, but I have not photographed a wedding at Rivoli. This guide puts together what the museum and the Comune publish, checked in October 2026, with how I would plan the day.

What the Castello di Rivoli is

The castle first appears in 1159 as "Castrum Riuollum" and belonged to the Savoy from 1247. In 1350, the museum notes, it was chosen as the setting for the wedding of Bianca di Savoia and Galeazzo Visconti, so a wedding here has a long precedent. In the 17th century the Castellamonte architects, father and son, turned it into a residence, and from 1718 Filippo Juvarra began a grand new palace that was never finished.

Next to it runs the Manica Lunga, a long wing built for the picture gallery of Duke Carlo Emanuele I. The city of Rivoli bought the castle in 1883; the architect Andrea Bruno restored it from 1979, and in 1984 it opened as Italy's first museum of contemporary art. The museum describes itself as part of the UNESCO World Heritage of the Savoy residences.

Which spaces the castle offers for events

The museum's events page offers its spaces for "corporate events, visits, dinners, exclusive evenings and photo shoots", for groups from 50 people, with the castle "open only for you". Its café adds private events and "aperitifs for weddings".

Space	What the museum says	Wedding use
Caffetteria	Rooms and patio along the Manica Lunga garden; aperitifs for weddings	Aperitivo
Restaurant	180 seats, panoramic view over Turin	Dinner (ask)
Manica Lunga garden and terraces	Aperitifs, dinners or shows	Aperitivo, dinner
First floor state rooms	Exclusive dinners after guided tours	Small dinner
Atrium and forecourt	Outdoor space for shows and events	Arrival, aperitivo

The museum does not publish hire prices, catering rules or a wedding package, and there is no chapel: the church planned for the castle was never built. Ask the events office what is possible for a wedding dinner, and get it in writing.

Mohammed and Hejrat standing together in a long white gallery with a chequered marble floor, her veil lifting in the air beside them — Not Rivoli: Mohammed and Hejrat in the Galleria Grande at the Reggia di Venaria, another Savoy residence near Turin.

Where to have the legal ceremony

The Comune di Rivoli's registry office manages the rooms used for civil ceremonies, but does not name the castle among them, and I found no decision designating it. For a legal ceremony, ask the Ufficio Stato Civile (stato.civile@comune.rivoli.to.it, +39 011 9513281) which rooms are available, or marry in Turin and come to Rivoli afterwards. My free guide to getting married in Italy explains the paperwork by nationality.

Wedding photos at Rivoli: the rules

In the museum's words: "Professional shots, including weddings, engagements, and fashion photo shoots must be undertaken upon permission of the Museum." Visitors may take photos for personal use only, with no flash or artificial light, and tripods and portable microphones need permission too. The fee for a wedding shoot is not published.

So a wedding session here is something to request early, by email, with the date, times, the people involved and the equipment. Ask which spaces are included: the forecourt and atrium, the Manica Lunga garden, the terraces, or rooms inside the museum.

Getting there from Turin and the airport

By car: on the Turin ring road, follow signs for the T4 Frejus and take the exit "Rivoli", not "Rivoli-Rosta".
By public transport: metro to Paradiso, then bus 36 to the end of the line and the shuttle to the castle, about 30 minutes for the bus part.
On Saturdays: an hourly train and shuttle link from Alpignano station, about 35 minutes from Torino Porta Nuova on average.
From Turin-Caselle airport: roughly 30 km by road, about half an hour (my estimate).
Parking: available at the castle; ask about coaches.

Light and the best portrait spots

The castle sits on a hill at the mouth of the Susa valley. The museum's own video guide describes the panoramic balcony added in the restoration, with a view over the plain towards Turin, the Sacra di San Michele and the arc of the Alps. By my reading of the map, the Sacra and the valley lie to the west, towards the sunsets, while the restaurant looks east over Turin.

The forecourt and atrium: the scale of Juvarra's unfinished palace, good in soft afternoon light.
The Manica Lunga garden: a long line of building, open sky and space for a walk.
The terraces: the Alps one way, the city the other; best in the last hour of light.

Around Rivoli the sun sets at about 8.50 pm in mid May, 9.20 pm in late June and 7.40 pm in mid September. The museum closes at 5 pm on weekdays and 6 pm at weekends, so evening light belongs to an exclusive event, not a visiting day.

Gabriele and Maddalena walking hand in hand under pink cherry blossom in a Turin park, petals on the path — Gabri and Mada under the cherry trees in Turin. Spring around Turin is short and worth planning for.

A suggested Castello di Rivoli wedding day

A Saturday in June, with the ceremony in town and an exclusive evening at the castle.

11.00 am Getting ready at home or a hotel in Turin.
3.00 pm Civil ceremony at a Comune venue in Rivoli or Turin.
4.00 pm Family photos at the ceremony venue, ten minutes, with a list.
6.00 pm Arrival at the castle once it closes to visitors; aperitivo in the café or the Manica Lunga garden.
7.00 pm Couple portraits on the forecourt and terraces, with the museum's permission.
8.00 pm Dinner in the restaurant overlooking Turin.
9.15 pm Ten minutes for the sunset over the valley.
10.00 pm Cake and toasts, within the end time the museum sets.

Rules that affect photo and film

Permission: professional wedding photos need the museum's permission; ask early.
Flash and lights: no flash or artificial light for visitors. For an event, ask what lighting is allowed in each space.
Tripods and microphones: need permission.
Drones: no venue rule is published. I am a registered EU drone pilot (ENAC, A1/A3); I check d-flight first, because the Torino-Aeritalia airfield is about 7 km away in a straight line, and I never fly over guests.
Music, confetti and rice: no rules are published; ask the events office.

Weather plan

Rivoli is one of the easiest venues near Turin for rain: the restaurant, the café rooms, the state rooms on the first floor and the large spaces on the third floor are all indoors, and the atrium has covered porticoes. Ask which of them is held for your rain plan and how many guests it takes.

How I would plan photo and film at Rivoli

I shoot photo and film myself, on one timeline, so nobody waits for "the video person". A museum suits that: one person, one bag, no lighting stands unless the museum allows them. I would ask for permission in writing, plan the portraits for the hour after closing, and use the restaurant's view of Turin for the toasts.

Every collection includes a pre-wedding consultation where we plan the light, the spots and the rain plan. More about weddings in the city is on my Turin page, and you can see a full Savoy-residence wedding in Mohammed and Hejrat's story.

Mohammed and Hejrat smiling at each other under her sheer veil, their hands clasped between them, in black and white — Mohammed and Hejrat at the Reggia di Venaria. A veil makes its own private room, anywhere.

FAQ

Can you get married at the Castello di Rivoli?

Not with a ceremony at the castle, as far as official sources show: no Comune decision names it as a wedding venue, and it has no chapel. The museum does host aperitifs for weddings, private events from 50 guests and, with permission, wedding photo sessions. Marry at a Comune venue first, then come to the castle.

Can we take wedding photos at the Castello di Rivoli?

Yes, with the museum's permission. Its rules say professional shots, including weddings and engagements, must be authorised by the museum. Visitors cannot use flash or artificial light, and tripods need permission. Email the events office early with your date, times and plans.

Can we hold a wedding reception at the Castello di Rivoli?

The museum hosts aperitifs for weddings in its café, and dinners and exclusive evenings for groups from 50 people, including in a restaurant with 180 seats overlooking Turin. It publishes no wedding package or prices, so ask the events office what a wedding dinner would involve.

How much does a Castello di Rivoli wedding event cost?

Hire, catering and photo permission fees are not published; the events office quotes on request. Budget separately for the civil ceremony at the Comune. I send my photo and film collections and prices personally once I know your date; write to me. For typical budgets, see my guide to what a wedding photographer costs in Italy.

When is the Castello di Rivoli open to visitors?

Wednesday to Friday from 10 am to 5 pm, and Saturday, Sunday and holidays from 11 am to 6 pm. It is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Evening events and portraits after closing are the calmest option; ask the museum what it can offer.

How far is the Castello di Rivoli from Turin?

About 14 km west of the city centre. By car, take the T4 Frejus from the ring road and exit at Rivoli. By public transport, take the metro to Paradiso, then bus 36 and the castle shuttle; on Saturdays a train and shuttle link runs from Alpignano.

Planning a wedding with the Castello di Rivoli?

Send me your date and what the museum has offered. I will reply personally within a day or two, and we can go through the timeline and the light on a free 20-minute video call, in English, Italian, Russian, Turkish or Azerbaijani. Send me your date and venue.