Sections of the Museum of Antiquities of Turin

The itinerary of the Museum of Antiquities is divided into three sections:

– Collections: prehistoric and protohistoric, Cypriot, Etruscan, Greek and Magna Graecia finds.
– Territory: objects and finds from excavations carried out in the regional territory which testify to Paleolithic and Mesolithic settlements.
– Turin: the history of the city from the Roman Augusta Taurinorum.

History of the Museum of Antiquities of Turin

The first nucleus of the collection of works of antiquity was born at the behest of Duke Emanuele Filiberto I of Savoy, the same one who chose the current Royal Palace as his residence, who in 1572 conferred its collections of ancient art in the Teatro Ducale also providing it with a library.

His successor Carlo Emanuele I however decided to expand the original collection with finds from Piedmont and the Savoy states, relocating the largest part of it important in the new Art Gallery completed in 1608.
In 1658 the gallery was destroyed by a fire and the collection damaged; the works that were saved were then transferred to a new gallery commissioned by his successor Carlo Emanuele II. But this too experienced the force of fire in 1811 facing disappearance and leaving to the history of art only a summary inventory written in 1631. Only the works that had been discarded as minor remained.

Vittorio Amedeo II then ordered their cataloging and this surviving nucleus, together with new acquisitions from private collections, from archaeological excavations and from collections donated by the Kings, converged in the courtyard of the Palazzo della Regia Università. Here you will find them Napoleon Bonaparte during his famous descent into Italy and as always the raider of Italian art did not miss the opportunity by sending to Paris a notable number of works, then only partially returned by the French after the fall of the empire in 1815.

In 1832 the decision was therefore made to allocate the collection of antiquities remained in the Palace of the Academy of Sciences because it here he found, since 1824, the Egyptian Collection that belonged to Bernardino Drovetti and purchased by King Carlo Felice. The Museum of Antiquities was born but his collection was growing more and more through the entry into the catalog of new Greco-Roman finds, finds from Magna Graecia from the Luigi Moschini Collection and finds found in contemporary excavations carried out in Piedmont. Finally they entered the half also Etruscan and Cypriot finds from the 19th century.

Only in 1940 was it decided to enhance the Egyptian collection by separating it from the other finds, thus giving origin of the current Egyptian Museum and Museum of Antiquities.

Questions about the Royal Museums of Turin

– What does the Royal Museums ticket include? Royal Palace, Sabauda Gallery, the Royal Library, the Royal Armoury, Royal Gardens, Museum of Antiquities, ground floor of Palazzo Chiablese and Chapel of the Holy Shroud.
– When can you visit the Royal Museums? From Tuesday on Sundays from 9.00 to 19.00. Ticket office from 9.00 to 18.00.
– How long does the visit to the Royal Museums last? From 2 to 5 hours.
– How much does it cost to visit the Royal Museums? Full price € 15, reduced € 2, free for under 18s.
– When is the Royal Museums are free? The first Sunday of the month.

Useful information for the visit

Opening hours: from Tuesday see you on Saturday from 8.30 to 19.30; Sunday from 2.30pm to 7.30pm; Friday closure at 10.00 pm. Closed on Mondays. Closed on 1st January, 1st May and December 25th.
Tickets: full price € 15, reduced € 2, free for under 18s.
Telephone: +39.011.5212251
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: Museo di Antichità