Construction of the palace was ordered by the
Regent Christine Marie in 1645. She wanted a new residence for the court after her son returned from the civil war. The chosen location was the previous Bishop's Palace, which had been built in the middle of the new capital of
Savoy,
Turin, during the reign of
Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy (1528–1580). Its advantages included an open and sunny position, in addition to being close to other buildings where the court met. The Duke was able to monitor the two entrances of the city (the Palatine and the Pretoria gates) from the Bishop's Palace. The Bishop's Palace in Turin was later captured by the French in 1536 and served as a residence of the French
Viceroys of Savoy, who were appointed by
Francis I of France. Opposite the Bishop's Palace was the
Palazzo Vecchio or the
Palazzo di San Giovanni. This building, disparagingly known as
Pasta con Tonno (English: Pasta with tuna) because of its architecture, was later replaced by the grand Ducal Palace. == See also ==