Matisse, Picasso, Braque and Bacon at the Reggia di Venaria: Turin's big autumn exhibition

By Walter Perlo

Before a painting ends up behind glass in a museum, it is born in a messy room. There are canvases stacked against the wall, jars of pigment, and a window that lets in the right light only at certain hours. That room, the artist's studio, is the starting point of this autumn's major exhibition at the Reggia di Venaria, the vast Savoy royal palace just outside Turin.

Atelier dei Moderni. Matisse, Braque, Picasso, Bacon opens on 2 October 2026 and runs until 14 February 2027. If you're planning a trip to Piedmont between October and the holidays, it's a strong reason to add a few days to your stay. It's even better if you pair it with Turin and with the Langhe wine hills in white truffle season.

What's on show: sixty works on loan from Lyon

The exhibition brings together around sixty works from the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Lyon, one of France's most important public collections of 20th-century art. It is curated by Sylvie Ramond and housed in the palace's Sale delle Arti. It is part of a two-year programme of exchanges between Venaria and French institutions, the same programme that brought a Fernand Léger show here last year.

The four names in the title are just the headline. Across fifteen sections, you'll also find Derain, Dufy, Bonnard, Vuillard, Suzanne Valadon, Sonia and Robert Delaunay, Dubuffet, Wifredo Lam, Hartung, Soulages, Nicolas de Staël and Simon Hantaï. The exhibition treats the century as a web of influences rather than a tidy sequence of "isms".

Highlights already announced include Matisse's Katia in a Yellow Blouse (1951), the exhibition's signature image, and Raoul Dufy's The Studio with Grapes (1942). That second one feels like a fitting title for anyone heading on to wine country afterwards.

Travelling with kids? There's a hands-on learning area inside the exhibition where young visitors can try out an artist's techniques and materials.

Tickets and opening hours

Checked on the official Venaria website on 22 September 2026:

• "Tutto in una Reggia" ticket: €25 full price. It covers the palace, the gardens and all current exhibitions. This is our pick for a first visit.

• Exhibition-only ticket: the price hasn't been published yet. Previous temporary exhibitions cost €12, gardens included.

• Hours from 1 October: Tuesday to Friday 9:30am–5pm, weekends and public holidays 9:30am–6:30pm. Last entry is one hour before closing.

• Closed on Mondays, except public holidays.

• Booking online is recommended.

Keep in mind that on autumn weekdays the last entry is at 4pm. Allow at least three hours to see both the exhibition and the palace properly.

When to go: advice from someone who runs holiday homes here

After a few seasons of handling booking requests for these dates, one thing is clear to us. October and November weekends are the most sought-after of the year in Piedmont. The Alba White Truffle Fair starts on 10 October, and the Langhe fill up from Friday evening onwards. Turin copes better, but from 31 October Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Mirror Room opens at the OGR, which will draw big crowds too.

So:

• Visit on a weekday if you can (Tuesday to Friday). The rooms are quieter, and that's worth more than the shorter opening hours.

• Coming on a truffle fair weekend? Book your accommodation at least three to four weeks ahead, especially in Alba.

• For something different: from 26 December to 5 January the palace runs Sere di Natale, evening openings of the royal apartments and the exhibition at a special rate.

• Mid-January to mid-February is the quietest window, with fewer visitors and more availability.

How to get to the Reggia di Venaria

From central Turin it's about 10 km, or 20–30 minutes by car depending on traffic. The Venaria Express shuttle bus connects the city with the palace. Roadworks on a local bridge have changed the route, so check the latest notice on the official site before setting off.

Flying in? Turin Caselle airport is only a short drive from Venaria, so you could visit on your arrival or departure day. From Milan, high-speed trains reach Turin in about an hour.

From Alba and the Langhe it's roughly an hour and fifteen minutes by car. A day trip is doable but tiring. We'd suggest a night or two in Turin instead.

A long weekend: Venaria, Turin and the Langhe

Turin guides tend to skip Alba, and Langhe guides tend to skip Turin. But most travellers actually want both, and this exhibition makes a perfect excuse.

Day 1 – Turin. Arrive, spend the afternoon in the museums, then have dinner in the historic centre. If you like Japanese art, the Hiroshige exhibition at the MAO runs until 29 November: [see our Turin in autumn guide]

Day 2 – Venaria. Spend the morning at Atelier dei Moderni, then visit the royal apartments and the Great Gallery, and stroll the gardens in the afternoon. For expert context on the palace, you can book a guided tour of the Reggia on GetYourGuide. The Venaria also has an agreement with the nearby Castello di Rivoli, a contemporary art museum, which offers reduced entry to palace visitors.

Day 3 – Langhe. Head south to Alba, well under an hour and a half from Matisse to the Nebbiolo vineyards. If you're arriving during the fair, our [Truffle Fair parking guide] will save you a lot of circling. More inspiration: [Weekend in Piedmont: build your own itinerary] and our up-to-date events calendar.

Where to stay

For this kind of trip, a base in Turin for the first nights and one in Alba for the finale works best. Our holiday homes in Turin and Alba cover both, and you can book directly with no platform fees. For autumn dates, don't leave it too late.

From the Reggia di Venaria to the hills of Alba: here are the homes to start your autumn of art and Langhe from.

FAQ

How long is the Matisse and Picasso exhibition on at Venaria?From 2 October 2026 to 14 February 2027, in the palace's Sale delle Arti. There are also special evening openings between 26 December and 5 January.

How much are tickets for the Reggia di Venaria exhibition?The "Tutto in una Reggia" ticket is €25 and includes the palace, the gardens and all exhibitions. An exhibition-only price hasn't been announced yet. Previous shows cost €12.

Is the Reggia di Venaria open on Mondays?No, it's closed on Mondays except public holidays. From October it's open 9:30am–5pm on weekdays and 9:30am–6:30pm at weekends, with last entry one hour before closing.

Can I visit Venaria as a day trip from Turin?Easily, since it's about 10 km from the city centre. A day trip from Alba also works, at around 1h15 each way by car, but you'll enjoy it more with a night in Turin.

AI transparency notice (EU AI Act, Art. 50): this article was written with the help of artificial intelligence tools and reviewed by the author. Dates, prices and opening hours were checked against official sources at the time of publication.