Explore the Museum dedicated to Egyptian art and culture
As well as offering a whole wealth of opportunities for sight-seeing and fine dining, Turin is also home to the finest collection of ancient Egyptian artefacts outside Egypt itself.
The Egyptian Museum in Turin (or the Museo Egizio in Italian) has over 6,500 antiquities on display including bronzes, jewellery, statues, sarcophagi, mummies, and two Books of the Dead.
It was founded by King Carlo Felici of Savoy in 1824, part of the wave of enthusiasm for all things Egyptian that swept Europe at the turn of the 19th century. Finds already in the ownership of the University of Turin were incorporated into the museum, as well as over 5,000 precious artefacts collected by a diplomat named Bernardino Drovetti. Together, they were all housed in their present surroundings, a magnificent 17thcentury palazzo that was originally a Jesuit school.
In the first decades of the 20th century, the Italian Archaeological Mission brought back more important finds to the Egyptian Museum. More recently, it has undergone extensive renovations, with the addition of new display cases, mood lighting, photo galleries and 3-D movies, all helping to make the experience that much more atmospheric and immersive.
Among the museum's many artefacts, the undoubted showstopper is The Tomb of Ka. This collection comprises not just statues, sarcophagi and funerary items, but also the remains of food, such as salted meat and grapes that were left in the tomb when it was sealed in 3500 BC. The Egypt Museum also has one of the world's greatest collections of papyri, including the so-called Royal Papyrus, a hugely valuable historical document that lists all of Egypt's pharaohs over a 1,500 year period.
Also not to be missed is the seated Statue of Ramesses II, the standing statue of Seti II, and paintings from the Tomb of Iti, which give a rare glimpse of ordinary life in ancient Egypt. By following the video guide handed out to you when you enter, you can experience the different phases of Egyptian culture in chronological order, from 4000 BC right through to the 3rd century AD.
The museum is open 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Mondays, and 9:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday. Tickets cost 18 Euros, with reduced prices for children and free admission for under 5's and the severely disabled.
If you want to visit the museum, book your direct flights to Turin with Air Dolomiti
