The Egizio Museum of Egyptian Antiquities

Published on July 10, 2024 at 4:00 pm

Turin's Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, or Museo Egizio, is one of the oldest and most important museums in the world devoted to ancient Egypt. Its popularity is due in no small part to its collection of almost 40,000 items, 3,300 of which are on permanent display. Among the most impressive objects are the many sarcophagi and mummies of pharaohs such as the famous Ramses II and Tutankhamun. There is also a wealth of gold, silver and precious stone jewellery, as well as statues and reliefs of Egyptian divinities. The museum also boasts a spectacular collection of papyri and manuscripts known to specialists and fans of ancient Egypt, such as the Book of the Dead of Kha and the Book of Iufankh. With the aim of bringing its collections to life and making them accessible to a wide audience, the museum offers themed and interactive tours, as well as temporary exhibitions.

Entrance to the Egizio Museum

Summary

The history of the museum
What should you see at the Egizio Museum?
⭐ Where to stay near the Egizio museum?
🍴 Where can you eat an ice cream after your visit?
Practical information

The history of the museum

Located in the heart of Turin, in the palace of the Academy of Sciences, the Egizio Museum was founded in 1824 but only opened to the public in 1832. Initially confined to a single building, it underwent a series of transformations as archaeological excavations were carried out, collections were enriched and public interest grew.

Entrance to the Egizio Museum

The museum acquired most of its artefacts in the early 19th century, when Italian archaeologists Ernesto Schiaparelli and Giulio Farina carried out excavations. In the 1970s, the museum underwent a major transformation with the acquisition of the Ellesiya rock temple donated by the Egyptian government. This temple, cut into 66 blocks, was rebuilt in the museum.

Entrance to Ellesiya rock temple

In 2006, during the Winter Olympics, the museum's scenography was redesigned, in particular the rooms dedicated to statuary. Thanks to an interplay of perspectives and lighting, the statues appear even more majestic and impressive, particularly in the Hall of the Gods.

The Hall of the Gods, Egizio Museum

What should you see at the Egizio Museum?

Unless you're running a marathon, a single day isn't enough to see all the museum's collections. So if you want to make sure you don't miss anything, we recommend you visit at least these four halls: the Hall of Kings, the Hall of Papyri, the Hall of the Gods and the Hall of Funerary Objects. They contain exceptional collections that are admired by specialists and the general public alike.

Sphinx statues, Egyptian Museum

The Hall of Kings features royal sarcophagi and the mummies of pharaohs such as Tutankhamen and Ramses II. The Papyrus Room, meanwhile, brings together no less than 3,000 years of material culture, with whole or fragmented manuscripts written in seven scripts and eight languages.

Pharaoh's sarcophagus and mummy, Egizio Museum

In the Hall of the Gods, you can marvel at statues and reliefs of divinities. Finally, the room of funerary objects contains amulets, death masks and other talismans designed to protect the body and soul of the deceased in the afterlife.

High relief of King Horemheb and the god Amun, Hall of the Gods, Egizio Museum

⭐ Where to stay near the Egizio museum?

The Egizio Museum is located in Turin's historic centre, close to most of the city's tourist attractions. Le Petit Hotel is just 500 metres from the museum. If you are a light sleeper, don't hesitate to ask for a room overlooking the courtyard, as the hotel is on a busy street.

Turin

Le Petit Hotel

The Petit Hotel is located 500 metres from the Egizio Museum.

From

£116

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🍴 Where can you eat an ice cream after your visit?

After strolling through the halls of the Egizio Museum, why not indulge in a delicious gelato? In summer and winter alike, Piu' di un gelato offers homemade ice creams and frozen pastries made with natural, local ingredients. Of course, chocolate and Piedmont hazelnuts have pride of place. A real treat!

Piu' di un gelato

📍 Galleria Subalpina 32, Turin

Monday to Thursday 8am to 11pm

Friday 8am to midnight

Saturday 9am to midnight

Sunday 12am to 11pm

Practical information

🚌 How do I get to the Egizio Museum?

If you're not staying in Turin's historic centre, the easiest way to get to the museum is to take metro line 1 (the only one!) and stop at Porta Nuova station. Then you can take tram no. 4 to the Bertola-247 stop or walk 10-15 minutes to the museum.

⏰ Opening times:

9am to 2pm on Monday mornings

9am to 6.30pm Tuesday to Sunday

Late-night opening times until 8pm are regularly offered, find out more on the museum website.

👉 Online booking compulsory!

This museum has been so successful that it is no longer possible to visit it without first buying your admission ticket online. Don't panic, you can do so even a few minutes before arriving at the museum. This will help to regulate the flow of visitors and make moving around the museum more pleasant.

https://egizio.museitorino.it/en/?utm_source=easyvoyage

👉 The children's area "Spazio ZeroSei Egizio" is open on Saturdays, Sundays and during Italian school holidays from 9.30am to 5pm.

It's worth noting that the museum has a special area for children aged 3 to 6. For two hours, parents visit the museum and children take part in educational activities with early childhood professionals. They will discover the culture of Ancient Egypt through games specially designed for them. The area is also available for babies up to the age of 2, accompanied by one of their parents.

👛 Prices:

Over 18s: 18 euros

15 to 18 years: €3

6 to 14 years old: €1

Under 6s: free

Access to the "Spazio ZeroSei Egizio" children's area (0-6 years): €5 for two hours.

There are preferential rates for families with two or more children, with all options available when you buy your ticket online (compulsory!).

by Faustine PEREZ

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