TOGHRUL NABI
Musa and Solmaz framed in a deep stone opening during their pre-wedding session in Susa, Piedmont (not at Stupinigi)
Venue guide

A wedding at the Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi

Since June 2024 couples can marry again at Juvarra's hunting lodge south of Turin, with a legal civil ceremony on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays for up to 120 guests. Here is who to ask, what it costs, what the photo rules say and how we would plan the light.

Check your dateSee real weddings
Toghrul NabiUpdated 2026-10-05

A Palazzina di Stupinigi wedding means saying yes where Savoy princes married: in Filippo Juvarra's hunting lodge, at the end of a long, straight avenue from Turin. The last royal wedding there was in 1842. More than 180 years later, on 17 June 2024, a couple married at the Palazzina again, under a new agreement between the Fondazione Ordine Mauriziano, which owns the lodge, and the Comune di Nichelino, which celebrates the ceremonies.

This guide puts together what the Ordine and the Comune publish, checked in October 2026, with sources at the end. We are the Toghrul Nabi team, wedding photographers and filmmakers based in Turin. We have not yet photographed a wedding at Stupinigi, so the photographs here come from our own weddings and sessions elsewhere in Piedmont, and each caption says where.

What the Palazzina di Stupinigi is

Work began in 1729, to Filippo Juvarra's design, on a lodge for the Savoy hunts and parties; Benedetto Alfieri and others went on enlarging it through the 18th century. The plan is a St Andrew's cross around the Salone Centrale, an oval hall two storeys high, frescoed with hunting scenes by the Valeriani brothers in 1731 to 1733, under a copy of Francesco Ladatte's bronze stag (the 1766 original is now inside). Today it is a museum run by the Fondazione Ordine Mauriziano, part of the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Savoy Residences since 1997. Royal weddings held here include Vittorio Emanuele II's to Maria Adelaide of Habsburg-Lorraine, on 12 April 1842, before he became the first king of Italy.

Civil weddings at Stupinigi: how it works

The agreement between the Ordine and the Comune di Nichelino runs until 2029 and covers civil weddings and civil unions. Two offices are involved, and you need both: the Fondazione Ordine Mauriziano owns the spaces and answers questions about marrying there (beniarchitettonici@ordinemauriziano.it); the Comune di Nichelino celebrates the ceremony through its civil status officer, fixes the day and hour, and charges the fee.

The Comune lists the Palazzina on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, from 9 am to 7 pm, for €1,600 if you live in Nichelino and €1,850 if you do not. Local press reporting the agreement in June 2024 wrote that these amounts cover both the Ordine's costs and the Comune's staff; ask both offices in writing whether anything else, such as chairs, flowers or a photo permit, is charged on top.

The Comune also lists a second, smaller place at Stupinigi, the "Cascina Ordine Mauriziano", for €500 (residents) or €600, all year except from 11 August to the end of that month. If the Palazzina is beyond your budget or your date, ask the Comune about it.

A civil ceremony in an Italian town hall: the officer in her tricolour sash reads at the desk while the bride's long veil spreads across the chequered floor
Not Stupinigi: Mohammed and Hejrat's civil ceremony at the town hall, July 2026. A civil ceremony is short; the room, the light and the faces carry it.

The papers, briefly

The legal steps are those of any civil wedding in Italy. Couples who live in Italy make the marriage publications first; foreign citizens who do not live in Italy need a nulla osta from their consulate in Italy, legalised by the Prefettura. The Comune di Nichelino then asks for a request to celebrate there if neither of you lives in Nichelino, a copy of each witness's identity document a week before, the delegation from the Comune or consulate of your publications 15 days before, and an interpreter at the ceremony if a foreign partner does not understand Italian. The wedding must take place within 180 days, counted from the twelfth day after the publications.

Our guide to a civil wedding in Italy for foreigners and our free planning guide explain the papers by nationality.

Which spaces: the chapel, the Sala Camini and the courtyard

Three spaces are used for ceremonies, with these maximum numbers from the Ordine:

Space What it is Ceremony guests
Cappella di Sant'Uberto The Palazzina's chapel, on the visit route after the royal apartments Up to 30
Sala Camini Built between 1788 and 1792 to Ludovico Bo's design as lodgings for gentlemen of the court, with its original coffered vault and marble fireplaces Up to 99
Cortile d'Onore The courtyard just outside the Salone Centrale, about 950 m², closed by a great iron gate Up to 120

The courtyard, the only space for more than 99 guests, is open to the sky, so agree the rain plan when you book. The Ordine's floor plan places the Sala Camini on an upper floor; if older guests are coming, ask about the lift.

Receptions at the Palazzina

Separately from the ceremony, the Ordine rents event spaces: the Salone Centrale, "the heart and soul of the Palazzina", where the Savoy held their balls and wedding receptions; the Sala del Cervo, Juvarra's stable turned portrait gallery, home to Ladatte's original stag and offered as a wedding reception space; and the orangeries, stables and halls of the two side wings. The Ordine publishes floor plans (the Sala del Cervo is about 280 m²) but no seated capacities, fees or catering rules, so ask for all three in writing, with your guest count.

Mohammed and Hejrat walking out of a civil ceremony hand in hand, both laughing, guests cheering behind them, in black and white
Not Stupinigi: the walk out of Mohammed and Hejrat's civil ceremony. Whatever the room, these ten seconds are the ones to be ready for.

Wedding photos at Stupinigi: the rules

The Palazzina is a museum first. Visitors may photograph the museum route for strictly personal use, without professional equipment, and any photo or video shoot, "even private", needs the written permission of the management (the Direzione), requested in advance. In the Ordine's own words, shoots "including weddings, engagements and fashion photos are not allowed without the museum's explicit permission". Flash is forbidden inside, tripods are ruled out during visits, and any other use of images, of the exteriors too, falls under a specific regulation.

So send the photo request together with the ceremony booking, and ask:

  • which spaces are included for portraits, and at what times (the Salone Centrale? the garden?);
  • whether there is a fee;
  • whether a second photographer or a videographer is covered by the same permit.

Nothing is published about drones. The Palazzina sits in a regional nature park, so we would only plan an aerial with the Ordine's written permission and after checking the d-flight map for the day, and never over guests gathered together.

The avenue, the garden and the park

Juvarra designed the Palazzina as a surprise, appearing on the horizon at the end of a long, straight, tree-lined road from Turin. That avenue is the photograph everyone has in mind, but it is a public road, and the Palazzina is ringed by busy roads (the park authority calls it, with some irony, "the most beautiful roundabout in Italy"), so portraits there are taken from its edges, with care.

Behind the Palazzina, the walled historic garden has been brought back to its original design: geometric flower beds crossed by long avenues, then a wood of hornbeams and old oaks. Around it, the Parco naturale di Stupinigi covers more than 1,700 hectares. The garden opens from 1 March to 31 October, Tuesday to Friday until 4.30 pm and at weekends until 5.30 pm, never on Mondays, and in summer 2026 it closed during the heat waves. For garden portraits, ask whether your permit includes it, at your hour, on your date.

Mohammed and Hejrat standing on a long lawn between tall clipped hedges, mountains in the distance, in black and white
Not Stupinigi: Mohammed and Hejrat in a hedged avenue at the Reggia di Venaria, July 2026. Savoy gardens are built on long lines; we use them.

Getting there: Turin, parking and buses

  • By car from Turin: follow Corso Unione Sovietica south past Lingotto, then Viale Torino straight to the Palazzina; from the southern ring road (Tangenziale Sud), take the Stupinigi exit. By our routing estimates, without traffic it is about 20 minutes from Piazza Castello, 18 from Porta Nuova station, 25 from the Reggia di Venaria and 35 from Turin-Caselle airport.
  • Parking: free parking along Viale Torino, in front of the complex.
  • Guests with limited mobility: a gate on the left, facing the church, leads to an internal car park; call the porter's lodge in advance on +39 011 6200635. Outdoor paths are gravel.
  • By bus: GTT line 41 from Lingotto station, about 20 minutes, or the extra-urban line 282 from Porta Nuova.

Light at Stupinigi

Stupinigi stands on the open plain south of Turin, with the Alps on the western horizon. By our calculation from the terrain, the sun goes behind the mountains at about 8.35 pm in mid-May, 8.50 pm from mid-June to mid-July, 7.15 pm in mid-September and 6.25 pm in mid-October. Official sunset in June is about 9.15 pm.

By our reading of the map, the Palazzina faces north-east, up the avenue towards Turin. From late morning the front and the Cortile d'Onore fall into the building's own shade: even, soft light for faces at an afternoon ceremony, with no squinting into the sun. The warm, low light of the evening comes from the west, over the roofs and the garden side.

In June a ceremony at 5 or 6 pm still leaves the best hour of light after it; in October, plan an earlier slot. May is the rainiest month around Turin, and July and August can be hot enough to close the garden.

Combining Stupinigi with a reception in or near Turin

Ceremonies end by 7 pm, and many couples dine elsewhere. By our routing estimates without traffic, Stupinigi is about 23 minutes from Palazzo Saluzzo Paesana in central Turin (up to 120 seated), 30 from Villa Sassi on the Turin hill, 21 from the Castello Cavour at Santena and 32 from the Castello di Pralormo. Our guide to wedding venues in and around Turin has capacities and contacts for each. For a second royal residence, the Reggia di Venaria is about 25 minutes away and books its own wedding photo service.

Musa and Solmaz walking arm in arm past an old stone church doorway with potted olive trees, in black and white
Not Stupinigi: Musa and Solmaz's pre-wedding session in Susa, an hour west of Turin. Piedmont is full of stone and history within an easy drive.

A suggested Stupinigi wedding day (a Saturday in June)

  1. 1.00 pm Getting ready at home or in a hotel in Turin.
  2. 4.15 pm Guests arrive; free parking on Viale Torino.
  3. 5.00 pm Civil ceremony in the Cortile d'Onore.
  4. 5.30 pm Family photos in the shade of the courtyard; an aperitivo, if agreed with the Ordine.
  5. 6.30 pm Portraits: the façade, the avenue from its edges, and the garden if your permit includes it.
  6. 7.45 pm Leave for dinner within half an hour's drive, with the last sun until about 8.50 pm.

Or choose a Monday or a Wednesday: the museum is closed to visitors on Mondays, and weekdays are quieter everywhere.

Photographing and filming a Stupinigi wedding: our plan

Our team photographs and films the day on one timeline, with documentary moments and elegant, guided portraits from a calm, discreet presence, and every collection includes a pre-wedding consultation on the timeline, the light and the rain plan. At Stupinigi the plan starts with paperwork: the photo permit, requested in writing with the ceremony. The ban on flash costs nothing in rooms like these: at the Reggia di Venaria, where flash is also forbidden, we photographed and filmed Mohammed and Hejrat's day in the Galleria Grande by window light. One tip: if you need an interpreter, book one separately. We speak Italian with the officer, but while we are photographing and filming we cannot also translate your vows.

FAQ

Can you get legally married at the Palazzina di Stupinigi?

Yes. Since June 2024 an agreement between the Fondazione Ordine Mauriziano and the Comune di Nichelino allows civil weddings and civil unions at the Palazzina until 2029. The Comune's civil status officer celebrates them on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, from 9 am to 7 pm. You complete the usual Italian paperwork with the Comune.

How much does a wedding at Stupinigi cost?

The Comune di Nichelino charges €1,600 for residents of Nichelino and €1,850 for non-residents for a ceremony at the Palazzina (checked October 2026). Reception spaces and photo permits are not priced publicly, so ask the Ordine. We send our own photo and film collections and prices once we know your date; write to us.

How many guests can attend a ceremony at Stupinigi?

Up to 30 in the Cappella di Sant'Uberto, 99 in the Sala Camini and 120 in the Cortile d'Onore, according to the Ordine Mauriziano. The courtyard is open-air, so with more than 99 guests, agree a rain plan before you book.

Can we take wedding photos inside the Palazzina?

Only with permission. The Ordine states that shoots including weddings, engagements and fashion photos are not allowed without the museum's explicit permission, requested in writing and in advance, and that flash is forbidden inside. Ask which rooms and times your permit covers, and whether there is a fee.

Can we hold the reception at the Palazzina?

The Ordine rents event spaces, including the Salone Centrale, where the Savoy held wedding receptions, and the Sala del Cervo, which it offers for weddings. It publishes no capacities, fees or catering rules, so ask in writing. Turin and several castles are within half an hour's drive.

Planning a wedding at Stupinigi?

Tell us your date, your guest count and which space you have in mind. We reply within a day or two, and on a free 20-minute video call we can go through the permit, the light and the timeline, in English, Italian, Russian, Turkish or Azerbaijani. Send us your date and venue.

Sources

Keep reading

Hejrat with a white parasol in a hedged avenue of the Reggia di Venaria gardens, her bridesmaids behind herVenue guideA wedding at the Reggia di Venaria RealeThe Reggia di Venaria hosts civil ceremonies, receptions and wedding photo sessions. Here is what is allowed, where, for how many guests, and how the light behaves, from a team that has worked there.Hejrat with her bridesmaids in the gardens of the Reggia di Venaria, the palace behind themVenue guideWedding venues in and around Turin: an honest guideFourteen real wedding venues in Turin and within about an hour of it, each checked on its own website in October 2026: what it is, how many guests it takes, how far it is, and what it is like to photograph.Mohammed bows to kiss Hejrat's hand at their civil ceremony at the town hallTurin, PiedmontWedding photographer and filmmaker in TurinBased in Turin, our team photographs and films weddings here on one timeline. This page is what we would tell you over coffee: where to marry, where the light is good, and how the day fits together.