Palazzo Madama, Turin

Rising from the central Piazza Castello, this palace combines a medieval fortress with an ornate baroque facade added in the early 18th century by the architect Filippo Juvarra. Roman gate towers still stand embedded within its rear walls, marking a history spanning nearly two thousand years. The building now houses the civic museum of ancient art, whose collections range from medieval sculpture and manuscripts to porcelain and painting. A monumental interior staircase sweeps visitors upward beneath a soaring vault.