Located in the grand 17th century Palazzo dell’ Accademia della Scienze on four floors, the Museo Egizio is considered the most important collection of Egyptian antiquities outside Cairo. It opened in 1824 to house the material that King Charles Felix of Sardinia had acquired from the Drovetti collection, with subsequent additions occurring until the 1960s. Following a 2015 renovation that doubled the collection on public display, this vast space now holds over 6,500 artifacts in its displays and more than 30,000 in storage, covering a period from the Paleolithic to the Coptic era. Additionally, the museum explores the different layers of its own history – the theft of antiquities, the rise and fall of the gentlemen collector, the display of human remains and the role of museums in society – through photographs, field notes and correspondences of Egyptologists.

Particular highlights include the majestic statue of Rameses II, the ancient rock-cut Temple of Ellesyia and an extensive papyrus collection. There are also 500 funerary and domestic objects from the tomb of royal architect Kha and his wife Merit, dating to 1400 BC and discovered in 1906.

The 72-hour Torino Card, provided to all Kirker clients visiting Turin, includes complimentary entrance to the Museo Egizio (in addition to over 160 other cultural sites including museums, monuments, fortresses and Royal Residences in Turin and Piedmont, as well as free use of the city’s overground public transport system and reductions on prices of guided tours, theatre and concerts).

Open Monday 09:00-14:00 and Tuesday to Sunday 09:00-18:30, with last entrance 1 hour before closing time. Positioned in the heart of the city near the Royal Palace, the Museo Egizio is easily accessible on foot as well as by bus, metro and car.

Allow plenty of time; you can easily spend half a day here.