On the more urban slopes of the Turin hill, behind the Church of Gran Madre di Dio—a benevolent and austere mirage that the eye is drawn to from the beating heart of the city center—stands the Savoyard and secluded elegance of the 17th-century Villa della Regina, since 1997 a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Described as the true scenic backdrop of the Turin spectacle, Villa della Regina is home to the Vigna della Regina, the only urban vineyard in Italy to produce a certified DOC cru wine.
Commissioned and designed by Prince Maurizio of Savoy in the early 1600s, the vineyard was created as an agricultural and recreational part of the royal residence. Later, in 1867, it was donated by the Savoys to the National Institute for the Daughters of Italian Soldiers. With the closure of the institute, the vineyard area was gradually overtaken by invasive plants, leading to its disappearance from the city landscape. Additionally, bombings during World War II left the Villa in a state of degradation that brought it to the brink of complete collapse.
The complex environmental restoration and replanting project carried out between 2003 and 2006 by the Piedmont Superintendence for Historical, Artistic and Ethno-anthropological Heritage successfully reclaimed the entire estate, leading to the replanting of about half of the historical vineyard, along with the full restoration of the state-owned complex—especially the Royal Apartments and the Italian Gardens, whose restoration began back in 1994.
The meticulous replanting of the Royal Vineyard of Turin was entrusted from the very beginning to the Balbiano Winery, which has overseen every detail. A total of 2,700 vines were replanted—mostly Freisa—on nearly one hectare of land. The results of the first harvests were immediately outstanding, so much so that in 2011 the vineyard of Villa della Regina was reintegrated into the Freisa di Chieri DOC area, allowing it to produce the first Freisa di Chieri DOC “Vigna Villa della Regina”.
An exceptional wine, thanks to the perfect south-facing exposure and the terroir, which is remarkably rich and environmentally healthy: urban pollution does not affect the vineyard, which is elevated above the city and far from traffic. The beehives located just behind the Villa confirm it—bees only thrive where the air is clean.