from sognandoviaggi.com
With king Carlo Felice, who returned to the throne in 1823 after the Napoleonic period, the interiors of the castle were subjected to new transformations. The ex-ducal Palace took on the appearance of a summer residence and the rooms became spaces where the king and his consort Maria Cristina di Borbone could devote themselves to their hobbies. Michele Borda di Saluzzo was in charge of redesigning the furnishings and decorations of some rooms: the chapel became a small theatre to humor the king’s passion for dramatic art; the art gallery, inside the two long extensions of the building, hosted a picture gallery celebrating the House of Savoy by the will of Maria Cristina. Moreover, the queen decided to cover the walls of several rooms with precious hand-painted tapestries, order new furnishings, and modify the design of the garden.
The small theatre commissioned by Carlo Felice is one of the rare cases of theater within the Piedmontese residences. It was realized by Borda instead of the chapel. In the picture, it is possible to see the curtain painted by Luigi Vacca.