Top 4 museums Turin is famous for: Ultimate Guide
1) visit the World’s 2nd biggest Egyptian Museum with its “Statue of Ramses II” 2) learn about one of the most controversial relic of history with the Museum of the Holy Shroud 3) discover Turin’s car-making tradition with the Museum of Automobile and its 200 iconic vehicles and 4) explore the National Museum of Cinema and its suggestive location inside the iconic Mole Antonelliana.
Below you can find a detailed explanation of each of the four museums I recommend to visit in Turin:
- The Egyptian Museum
- The Museum of the Holy Shroud
- Museo Nazionale dell’ Automobile
- The National Museum of Cinema
1. The Egyptian Museum
The Egyptian Museum (called Museo Egizio in Italian) not only it is the 2nd biggest in the world after the one in Cairo but it is also the most ancient Egyptian Museum to ever be created as it was founded in 1824.
What is there to see in the Egyptian Museum?
The collection has several domestic and funerary objects, among the many highpoints there is the Statue of Ramses II which is one of most well known representations of Egyptian art, the Statue of the goddess Sekhmet, the Sarcophagus of Ibi the statue of the Pharaoh Amenhotep II andthe tomb of Kha which dates back to 1400 BC. Furthermore, the museum has a collection of approximately 700 papyrus andover 17,000 pieces of papyrus which represent the life in Egypt over 3,000 years ago.
How was the Egyptian museum created?
The museum originated by merging the Egyptian antiques collection of two different royal families (the House of Savoy and King Charles Felix of Sardinia), the assortment of an Egyptologist from Padua (Vitaliano Donati) and the gatherings of a Piedmontese Consul to the Napoleonic Campaigns in Egypt. Last but not least, the first director of the Egyptian museum of Turin lead the archeological excavations in Egypt between 1903-1937 which resulted in the unearthing of over 30,000 items.
Ticket price: adults 15€; for the ones below 14 years old it is only 1€
2. The Museum of the Holy Shroud
Turin preserves one thing which is truly unique in this world: the Holy Shroud of Christ. Whether you are religious or not it doesn’t matter, this is one of the most important and interesting pieces of history in the whole planet. The Museum of Holy shroud in Italian is called “Museo della Sindone”.
What is the Holy Shroud?
It is the linen cloth in which the in which allegedly the body of Jesus Christ was wrapped after crucifixion and during his burial in the Holy Sepulchre. The shroud portrays two negative images of the body of Jesus as well as the marks of the crucifixion wounds (the thorn crown on the head, the slashes from the floggings on the back and various stains of blood throughout the whole body).
Where is the Holy Shroud stored?
The Holy Shroud is currently in Turin. It has been preserved in the cathedral of San Giovanni Battista in Turin since 1578, which is part of the Duomo di Torino.
Can we really see the original Holy Shroud?
To avoid damages and enhance its preservation the Holy Shroud is publicly exhibited only once every 25 years. There are only two exceptions to this rule: if it is the year of the Jubilee (like in the year 2000) or if it is an anniversary since its arrival in Turin (in the year 1978 the 400 years anniversary was celebrated). During its last public viewing over two-million pilgrims came to Turin to see the reliquial first-hand. A replica of the Shroud is also stored and exposed in in Turin.
What’s there to see in the Holy Shroud museum?
The museum is on two floors, the first one offers a short video summarizing the history of the Shroud and the scientific investigations that have been carried out until today. The ground floor shows a replica of the Holy Shroud.
Ticket price: 6 €. Given the low entry price (6 Euro) and the uniqueness of the Shroud I think the Museum is worth a short 45 mins visit.
3. Museo dell automobile
What’s there to see in the Museo dell’ automobile?
Turin has a long automobile tradition which makes the Italian capital of Automobile. Not only is it home to the largest Italian car manufacturing companies like Fiat, Lancia and Iveco but it also the city that gave birth to incredibly talented and worldwide celebrated automobile designers such as Pininfarina, Giugiaro and Bertone.
The Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile of Turin with its over 200 iconic vehicles dating back from 1854 is one of the largest museums dedicated to automobile in the whole world and by far the most significant one in Italy.
The museum is very enjoyable as it is with state-of-the-art multimedia installations, large graphic panels, audios and videos. It offers a great historical insight and a futuristic look at the same time. Definitely worth a visit!
4. The National Museum of Cinema
The National museum of Cinema (called Museo del Cinema in Italian), is the most important museum in Italy dedicated to the history “motion pictures” from its beginning until today. The museum is held inside the famous Mole Antonelliana which is the most iconic building in Turin’s skyline, the top of which is accessible and offers a 360 degree view of the city. I recommend to visit this museum so you can enjoy both a captivating trip in the history of cinema as well as the stunning views of the city and kill two birds with one stone!
What is there to see at Museo del Cinema?
The exhibition provides a fascinating journey across the history of cinema from the moving images and the equipment used by the very first industry pioneers until today’s television. Along the way there are many educational activities for the young and grown-ups to engage with that will make the discovery of this journey more tangible and enjoyable.
The first part concentrates really on the history of cinema and it will expose you to the first mechanical tools ever used by people in the cinema industry. The second part, takes place literally underneath the dome of the Mole Antonelliana and it displays pictures, posters, short documentaries as well as short move-clips of the most famous movies from all around the world. Visitors can enjoy the latter part by sitting on comfortable red velvet chairs just like at the cinema. The fact of visiting the interior of the mole makes the experience much more enriching.
At last you may want to take the glass elevator that takes you up to the Mole rooftop for you to enjoy an extraordinary view of the city of Turin with the beautiful Alps in the background.
Ticket price: 11 € adults
