The Regie Mandrie of the Savoy Family
The monumental complex of ‘Regia Mandria della Venaria’ is said to date back to 1713. It was designed by Michelangelo Garove and Filippo Juvarra later added to this design. The work by the architect from Messina is documented beginning from 1726 with the approval of a budget for the completion of the wing of the stables. The works progressed until 1729 with the construction of a new stable wing to the right of the main building.
There were substantially three ‘Mandrie Reali’ of the time: the Apertole, which commenced in 1695, Chivasso from 1763 to 1779 and Venaria beginning from 1702.
With Carlo Emanuele II, horse-breeding activities to serve the duke began in special areas called droves. Riding horses, hunting horses and carriage horses were bred. They had to be bred in large numbers to fulfil the various services they had to carry out and because they had to replace rejects or dead animals.
From at least 1687, there were thoroughbred horses present within the territory of Venaria. They grazed on what is now part of the La Mandria estate. ‘Mandria Vecchia (old)’ is mentioned in documents and on April 16, 1697 a receipt was issued for “400 faggots of oak necessary for a fence for La Mandria in the forests of the large town to enclose the colts of His Royal Highness”. This was obviously the beginning of the ‘Nuova (new) Mandria’; the buildings of which are still present today and in which Vittorio Emanuele II would later build his apartments during the mid 1800’s. Up to the end of the 1700’s, the La Mandria building was considered to be an adjunct to the more general structure of La Venaria Reale.
Vittorio Emanuele I and Carlo Felice then progressively abandoned Venaria and La Mandria, both due to the impossibility of maintaining several hunting residences, given their disastrous finances, and due to the terrible conditions into which the Venaria Reale fell after the French revolution. Lastly, there was a lack of deer, which were no doubt eliminated by the troops and the locals. And so the entire hunting centre was moved to Stupinigi, where the hunting territory was set-up once again, although on a smaller scale.
With Carlo Alberto there were more cut-backs on everything, so much so that the King went hunting solely escorted by 4 carabinieri.
It was with the arrival of Vittorio Emanuele II that La Mandria returned to its former glory as a hunting territory, no longer destined for use as a ceremonial court, but rather for the private and almost bourgeois amusement of the king.
