Torino, as the capital of Piemonte region in Italy, known as having abundant Italian cultures since it was the origin of House of Savoy and the first capital after the Italian unification. Not only being the ancient political center in Europe, there are also numerous heritage sites, museums, film festivals and many contemporary art scenes happening in the city. Some people would say the Torinese - the people from Torino - might be more elegant and haughty that you could easily recognize them from other Italian.
For sure, visiting the museums is one of the MUST-DO for travel in Torino. Among many museums, if you have difficulty of choosing during the short stay, we pick the top three for you.
From 12th to 19th century, Torino was the capital of House of Savoy, which ruled the Alps north-west of Italy and gradually hold the power of the whole Italy until 1946. Royal Palace of Turin (Italian: Palazzo Reale) as one of the residences of the Royal, was turned into the museum and been placed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.
In the palace, you could see a great amount of royal collection and the weapons display. Since the palace was first built for the Christine of France, the daughter of King Henry IV who became the Duchess of Savoy by marriage, you could see the luxurious interior design and some art pieces from Japan and China due to her favor.
Turin Cathedral (Italian: Duomo di Torino) which was built along with the west side of the palace, conserves the "Shroud of Turin" - a length of linen cloth which is supposed to be the burial shroud that Jesus was wrapped in when he was buried after crucifixion. Visit the cathedral to feel the solemn and sacred atmosphere.
ROYAL PALACE OF TURIN
Address : Piazzetta Reale, 1, 10122 Torino TO, Italie
Transportation : DUOMO - POLO REALE bus stop / CORTE D'APPELLO bus stop / GARIBALDI bus stop
Opening Hours : Tue-Sun 08:30-19:30 / Closed on Monday
Tarif : Full price admission : 12 € / Reduced price admission : 6 € (under age 25)
TURIN CATHEDRAL
Address : Piazza San Giovanni, 10122 Torino TO, Italie
Transportation : DUOMO - POLO REALE bus stop / CORTE D'APPELLO bus stop / GARIBALDI bus stop
Opening Hours : Everyday 07:00–12:30, 15:00–19:00
Tarif : Free
Just across the street from the Royal Palace of Turin, you will see the Museo Egizio. The Egyptian Museum conserves the largest Egyptian collection just second to the Cairo's, including the mummies, the Great Sphinx of Giza, and the ancient Egyptian cultures. Visiting the museum, you will be equipped with a multi-languages audioguide which gives you a detailed explanation on every work they display. Save some time for Museo Egizio, it takes at least 2 hours to fully immerse and learn.
The mummy is well-conserved and people could observe it in a close distance.
Address : Via Accademia delle Scienze, 6, 10123 Torino TO, Italie
Transportation : BERTOLA bus station
Opening Hours : Mon 09:00-14:00 / Tue-Sun 09:00-18:30
Tarif : Full price admission : 15 € / Reduced price admission : 11 € (age 15-18 and licensed journalists) / Reduced price admission : 1 € (age 6-14) / Free entrance under age 5
MOLE ANTONELLIANA, constructed in 1863, is the monumental landmark tower of Torino, named after its architect Alessandro Antonelli. With 167.5 metres height, people could take the lift going straight to the top and have the panoramic view of the city. Inside the tower, there is also the National Museum of Cinema (Italian: Museo Nazionale del Cinema) , which owns large collection of films and displays the art and production.
Address : Via Montebello, 20/A, 10124 Torino TO, Italie
Transportation : GAUDENZIO FERRARI bus station / MOLE ANTONELLIANA bus station
Opening Hours : Monday-Friday and Sunday 09:00-20:00 / Saturday 09:00-23:00 / Closed on Tuesday
Tarif :
MUSEUM + PANORAMIC LIFT
Full price admission : 15 € / Reduced price admission : 12 € (6-26 years-old)
MUSEUM ONLY
Full price admission : 11 € / Reduced price admission : 9 € (6-26 years-old)
PANORAMIC LIFT ONLY
Full price admission : 8 € / Reduced price admission : 6 € (6-26 years-old)
If you are a museum-holic, only one day is definitely not enough for Torino. Even more, if you are over 25 years-old having no reduced price for the entrance any longer, we strongly recommend you to buy the officially museum pass - TORINO+PIEMONTE CARD . With the card, you could enjoy free entry in most museums in Torino and discount on cultural sites in Piemonte region. You could choose 1,2,3, or 5 days pass of your purchase.
Words and Photographs by Che Fen OU YANG