The Reggia di Venaria palace complex finally opens to the public on October 12, following the largest cultural renovation project in Europe - large in terms of geographical space, but also in terms of cost, with 200 million euros spent over eight years of painstaking work.
The opening will be celebrated with a great party, commemorating the history of the complex left to Piedmont by the Savoy family.
The complex, designed as a place of pleasure and relaxation in 1600 by Duke Charles Emanuel II, is returning to its original vocation, with gardens and a palace that organizers say is designed to allow visitors to escape into their own miniature paradise.
The renovation history of this historic complex, which stands near the vast Parco della Mandria (once a royal hunting reserve), is long and complicated.
The site was, in fact, abandoned for around three centuries, to say nothing of the abuse it was subjected to during the period in which it served as a military depot.
Some 20 years ago, a group of property developers had their sights set on the location, keen to transform it into a residential building for the wealthy.
However, longsighted local officials - including Mercedes Bresso, president of Turin province at the time and now governor of Piedmont region - fought with all their power to prevent disaster.
This architectural masterpiece, which can best be compared to the Versailles or Caserta palaces, has now been added to UNESCO's world heritage list and will be protected for future generations to come.
The impressive splendour of the baroque delight can best be understood through numbers. The complex covers 950,000 square metres of space, between building and park, while the construction itself spans 80,000 square metres.
The gardens extend over 80 hectares, and are home to an artificial lake, the Great Fishpond, which is 250 metres long by 50 metres wide.
On June 9 of this year, the gardens were reopened to the public after being restructured by 120 botanical and architectural experts, and enriched with 40,000 new plants, as well as artworks by Giuseppe Penone.
October 12 will also be the inaugural day for an exhibit entitled "The Art, Magnificence and History of a European Court".
It will feature 450 works from private museums and collections around the world, designed to explore the tastes and history of the Savoys. The exhibit will feature extraordinary paintings, busts, silverware, armour and precious tapestries, many of which on loan or even "restored" to the palace.
In addition to the decorations, visitors will also be able to enjoy a show by British director Peter Greenaway , who has been working for months on a project that will bring the halls of the palace and its gardens to life.
The show is a kind of visual game, which will project figures and images designed to draw the visitors into the magic of real life in a 16th-century court.
Among the Italian actors who worked with Greenaway on the project are Ornella Muti, Luciana Littizzetto, Martina Stella, Remo Girone and Alessandro Haber.
