Museo Egizio

Overview

The Museo Egizio is the world's second-largest collection of Egyptian antiquities after Cairo, housing over 40,000 artefacts across four floors. Founded in 1824 from the Drovetti collection, it was completely renovated by architect Dante Ferretti in 2015 with immersive, theatrically lit galleries.

Highlights

• Statue Gallery: A dramatic corridor of monumental pharaonic sculptures in black granite, redesigned with cinematic lighting.
• Tomb of Kha and Merit: An intact New Kingdom tomb with its complete funerary kit — one of the museum's crown jewels.
• Papyrus collection: One of the world's most important, including the Turin Royal Canon and the Turin Erotic Papyrus.

History

Bernardino Drovetti, French consul in Egypt during Napoleon's campaigns, amassed the founding collection. King Carlo Felice purchased it in 1824 and established the museum in Palazzo dell'Accademia delle Scienze. A €50 million renovation completed in 2015 tripled the exhibition space.

Visitor Tips

• Book online: Skip the queue with timed-entry tickets.
• Audio guide: The included multimedia guide is excellent and well worth using.
• Duration: 2–3 hours.