Many were the illustrious guests who have honored the Dogana Vecchia: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Napoleon Bonaparte, Giuseppe Verdi and St. Giuseppe Benedetto Cottolengo.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart stayed at the Hotel Dogana Vecchia from 14 to 31 January 1771. Present at the performance of the opera "Annibale in Torino" by Giovanni Paisiello at the Teatro Regio. In 2006, in the occasion of the 250.mo anniversary of Mozart's birth, were posted two commemorative plaques, the first at the entrance of the hotel, sponsored by the Associazione Mozart Italia, and the second on the facade, sponsored by the City of Turin.

St. Giuseppe Benedetto Cottolengo

“In this house, on the evening of September 2nd, 1827 the canonical Cottolengo looked after a poor sick foreign woman and, affected by his boundless pity for human misfortunes, he expressed the strong desire for good that it became an everyday marvel in the small house of the Divine Providence”. This inscription is placed over the façade of Dogana Antica Hotel in memory of the establishing of the first San Giuseppe Cottolengo’s charity projects.

Giuseppe Verdi

Giuseppe Verdi’s stay in Turin is mainly connected to his political affairs. On September 14th, 1858 after composing the opera “Un ballo in maschera”, Verdi goes to Turin with a delegation. Here he meets Vittorio Emanuele II. In 1861 he is elected deputy of the first Italian Parliament and, after being urged by Cavour, he comes back to Turin again for the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy.


Napoleon Bonaparte

On June 22nd, 1800 Napoleon Bonaparte, at the time First Consul, entered Turin after defeating the Austrian army in Marengo. Napoleone first ordered to demolish all the city gates and bastions preserving just the citadel and the bastions of San Giovanni and Santa Adelaide, where afterwards the Giardino dei Ripari rose. Napoleon visited the city several times: the Royal Palace was renamed Imperial Palace in his honor.