Museo Egizio

The museum is housed in the Collegio dei Nobili, a 17th-century palace originally designed as a Jesuit school by the renowned architect Guarino Guarini. The building later passed to the Academy of Sciences. The complex includes exhibition galleries, the Academy of Sciences, and an open courtyard. In 2015, the museum underwent a significant reorganization and renovation designed by Migliore+Servetto Architects, introducing a new exhibition system and layout. More recently, the OMA project (2024) introduced a new covered courtyard known as Piazza Egizia, creating connected urban rooms to reinforce the museum's integration with Turin's public spaces.

The collection features iconic artifacts such as the Turin Royal Canon, a papyrus listing Egyptian kings, of which the museum holds three versions. Notable items include the 1,847 cm long Papyrus of Iuefankh, the longest preserved papyrus in the museum, and the massive 5-ton statue of Sethy II in the Gallery of the Kings. The museum displays 24 human mummies and 17 animal mummies, including the mummy and mask of Merit. Other highlights include the Mensa Isiaca, the Temple of Ellesiya, and the painted linen and model boats from the tomb of Kha and Merit. The collection also encompasses statues of King Ramesses II, King Thutmosi III, and the Goddess Sakhmet.

The Museo Egizio holds immense historical and academic significance, famously described by Jean-François Champollion as the place where 'the road to Memphis and Thebes passes through Turin.' Champollion himself visited in 1824 to study the Drovetti collection and produced the first catalogue raisonné of the holdings. The museum's archaeological missions between 1900 and 1935 yielded thousands of finds, many of which were divided between the museum and Egypt. Today, it remains a premier institution for Egyptology, hosting international scholars and contributing to the understanding of ancient Egyptian culture through its extensive research projects and exhibitions.