The Museo Nazionale del Cinema (National Cinema Museum) in Turin is an extraordinary place. Housed inside the distinctive Mole Antonelliana, a 19th-century architectural gem designed by architect Alessandro Antonelli that dominates the skyline of the city, the museum is a fascinating exploration of the history of cinema and is an impressive museum experience. For those who have found a vacation rental in Turin and who are planning on exploring the city, it is a great place to wile away some time, especially away from hot sunny days in summer and rainy days throughout the year, and learn something new about the silver screen. For movie lovers, it is an absolute must.
Opened in 1958, the museum was originally housed in the Chiablese Palace but, sadly, had to be closed in 1985 due to safety concerns about the building. In 1992, the Maria Adriana Prolo – Museo Nazionale del Cinema Foundation was founded and talks were begun about reopening a cinema museum in the city. Luckily, they found the perfect location, the stunning Mole Antonelliana, and the National Museum of Cinema of Turin was opened to the public in August 2000.
Opened in 1958, the museum was originally housed in the Chiablese Palace but, sadly, had to be closed in 1985 due to safety concerns about the building. In 1992, the Maria Adriana Prolo – Museo Nazionale del Cinema Foundation was founded and talks were begun about reopening a cinema museum in the city. Luckily, they found the perfect location, the stunning Mole Antonelliana, and the National Museum of Cinema of Turin was opened to the public in August 2000.
The construction of the Mole Antonelliana was begun in 1863, after Alessandro Antonelli was commissioned to design a new synagogue in celebration of the religious freedom established by law in 1843. Due to an overly ambitious design – Antonelli called it “a vertical dream” and gradually increased the proposed height of the building from 47m to 113m – work came to a halt in 1869 when they ran into financial difficulties caused by said plans. Structural issues worsened the financial situation and the Jewish community eventually withdrew from the project. The building was then sold to the Municipality of Turin and it was reimagined as a monument to the recent unification of Italy. It was completed in 1889 under Antonelli’s son, Costanzo, and stood as the tallest brick building in Europe at 167.5m. Today, the ambitious nature of the design remains striking and the adventurous creative spirit makes it an excellent place to house tales of the successes and trials of the movie industry.
Not only a striking gem from the outside, the Mole Antonelliana is also a unique and bizarre architectural gem on the inside and, is, therefore, a wonderful setting for the museum, not only in spirit but also in physicality. The way it is laid out seems like a series of portals into different worlds, or different cinematic universes, as it were. The Museo Nazionale del Cinema is the most important museum in Italy dedicated to the history of cinema and is a visual journey from the very beginnings of moving images right through to present times.
It is divided into various thematic sections and displays parts of scenes and sets, memorabilia, posters, models, and more. In the Aula del Tempio (Temple Hall) visitors can lay out on reclining seats and watch film clips being projected onto several large screens, mounted on the walls around the room, and explore ten little interactive niches devoted to various film genres located off the main space. Some of the highlights of objects on display in the museum include masks from Star Wars, Peter O’Toole’s robe from Lawrence of Arabia, and the coffin used by Bela Lugosi in Dracula. In addition to the permanent collection, there are temporary exhibitions on a regular basis (with the most recent exhibition having displayed priceless memorabilia of Marilyn Monroe), as well as all sorts of special events and educational and outreach activities.
While in the Museo Nazionale del Cinema, be sure to also take the glass elevator up through the huge domed hall of the Mole Antonelliana and take in the 360° panoramic views over Turin, wander the bookshop, and grab a bite in the restaurant. It all makes for a perfect day out for those who have found a vacation rental in Turin and want to learn more about the rich heritage and history of this incredible city in Italy.
Not only a striking gem from the outside, the Mole Antonelliana is also a unique and bizarre architectural gem on the inside and, is, therefore, a wonderful setting for the museum, not only in spirit but also in physicality. The way it is laid out seems like a series of portals into different worlds, or different cinematic universes, as it were. The Museo Nazionale del Cinema is the most important museum in Italy dedicated to the history of cinema and is a visual journey from the very beginnings of moving images right through to present times.
It is divided into various thematic sections and displays parts of scenes and sets, memorabilia, posters, models, and more. In the Aula del Tempio (Temple Hall) visitors can lay out on reclining seats and watch film clips being projected onto several large screens, mounted on the walls around the room, and explore ten little interactive niches devoted to various film genres located off the main space. Some of the highlights of objects on display in the museum include masks from Star Wars, Peter O’Toole’s robe from Lawrence of Arabia, and the coffin used by Bela Lugosi in Dracula. In addition to the permanent collection, there are temporary exhibitions on a regular basis (with the most recent exhibition having displayed priceless memorabilia of Marilyn Monroe), as well as all sorts of special events and educational and outreach activities.
While in the Museo Nazionale del Cinema, be sure to also take the glass elevator up through the huge domed hall of the Mole Antonelliana and take in the 360° panoramic views over Turin, wander the bookshop, and grab a bite in the restaurant. It all makes for a perfect day out for those who have found a vacation rental in Turin and want to learn more about the rich heritage and history of this incredible city in Italy.
Photo credit: Jean-Pierre Dalbéra / CC BY 2.0