The Museo Egizio in Turin is the only museum, other than the Cairo Museum, in the entire world that is dedicated solely to the display of, and informing the public about, Egyptian art and culture. It has one of the largest collections of Egyptian antiquities in the world, with over 30,000 pieces in the collection, and receives close to a million visitors each year. One of the most unexpected and intriguing attractions in Italy, it is one more reason to find a vacation rental in Piedmont and make your way to the charming city of Turin.
The first Egyptian object to come to Turin was not actually really an Egyptian object at all. Purchased by the Savoy King Carlo Emanuele I in 1630, the Mensa Isiaca, is a Roman production of an altar table in the Egyptianising style that is thought to have been built for a temple to Isis in Rome, created by an Isis cult. King Carlo Emanuele III then added to this work by commissioning botanist Vitaliano Donati to travel to Egypt in 1753 to acquire further items that were actually from Egypt. Donati returned with 300 pieces recovered from Karnak and Coptos and this became the core of the impressive collection that is now boasted by the museum at Turin today.
In 1724, King Vittorio Amedeo II had founded the Museo della Regia Università di Torino in a palace of the University for an antiquities collection and Carlo Emanuele III's later commissioning of the acquisition of objects from Egypt built a strong Egyptian core to the collection and focus on their antiquities. The Regio Museo delle Antichità Egizie was then formally founded in 1824 with the acquisition by King Carlo Felice of a large collection.
This collection was added to and moved to different buildings over the years and eventually became the Museo Egizio that exists today. Located in a stunning building on Via Accademia delle Scienze, the museum is a wonderful place to visit. The large collection is too massive to ever be fully on display but key pieces that are normally out for the public to see include the Temple of Tuthmosi III,
sarcophagi, mummies, funerary paraphernalia from the Tomba di Ignoti (Tomb of Unknown) from the Old Kingdom, the intact Tomb of Kha and of Merit, the papyrus collection room and the Mensa Isiaca (The Table of Isis). The Egyptian Museum also owns three different versions of the Egyptian Book of the Dead, including the most ancient copy known.
Even those who aren't particularly interested in Ancient Egypt will find it hard not to be impressed by this museum, which truly is a must-see for those visiting Turin and is one of the best museums in Italy.
In 1724, King Vittorio Amedeo II had founded the Museo della Regia Università di Torino in a palace of the University for an antiquities collection and Carlo Emanuele III's later commissioning of the acquisition of objects from Egypt built a strong Egyptian core to the collection and focus on their antiquities. The Regio Museo delle Antichità Egizie was then formally founded in 1824 with the acquisition by King Carlo Felice of a large collection.
This collection was added to and moved to different buildings over the years and eventually became the Museo Egizio that exists today. Located in a stunning building on Via Accademia delle Scienze, the museum is a wonderful place to visit. The large collection is too massive to ever be fully on display but key pieces that are normally out for the public to see include the Temple of Tuthmosi III,
sarcophagi, mummies, funerary paraphernalia from the Tomba di Ignoti (Tomb of Unknown) from the Old Kingdom, the intact Tomb of Kha and of Merit, the papyrus collection room and the Mensa Isiaca (The Table of Isis). The Egyptian Museum also owns three different versions of the Egyptian Book of the Dead, including the most ancient copy known.
Even those who aren't particularly interested in Ancient Egypt will find it hard not to be impressed by this museum, which truly is a must-see for those visiting Turin and is one of the best museums in Italy.