Top Museums in Turin

Galleria Sabauda

Galleria Sabauda was established in 1832 through a grant of Carlo Alberto and contains the paintings of the old collection of the Dukes and Kings of the Savoy dynasty. It is one of the most important national art galleries. Apart from the Savoy collections and the wide repertory of works of the Italian masters and the Piedmont school, the gallery also boasts a prestigious collection of Dutch and Flemish paintings.

Museo del Cinema

Founded in 1941 by Maria Adriana Prolo, Museo del Cinema is a delight to behold. The amazing exhibition space is arranged over five floors and tells the story of cinema from the Lumière brothers to the digital age. The museums houses a lot of descriptive artifacts about cinema and also gives visitors guided tours by which they can gain a lot of knowledge about cinema.

Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo

The 18th century Palazzo Re Rebaudengo belonging to Guarene d'Alba in the province of Cuneo houses the Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudegno for art. Over the years the palace has become one of the most excellent centres of contemporary art, a meeting place for the new generations of artists, critics and curators of exhibitions, chronicling and displaying new advances in art.

Galleria Martano

Galleria Martano is one of the great historic galleries of Turin. It opened in 1965 when the city did not have a great deal of interest in this kind of art. It has always been involved in historic, avant-garde art, abstract art and informal art. It has a great collection of paintings, sculptures, photographs, artists books, and so on. The gallery has had great success with both critics and the public with some of the shows it has organized on Reggiani and Soldati, exponents of abstract art and on Melotti and Tancredi, representatives of the informal style. It's a glorious spot for art lovers.

Galleria Aversa

Founded in 1963 by Biagio Aversa, the Galleria Aversa is located in the ancient center of Turin (Piedmont, Italy), into the XVIII century palace. In contrast to the other art galleries in the city, which mostly specialize in twentieth century work, Aversa concentrates on dedicating space to nineteenth century Italian and Neapolitan art. The organized shows and collections have earned great praise from critics. There is great emphasis placed on work of Piedmontese landscape painters such as Delleani, Fontanesi and Maggi.

Museo di Arti Decorative

The Museo di Arti Decorative is the pride and joy of the Accorsi Foundation, founded in December 1999, as requested in the will of the great torinese antiques dealer Pietro Accorsi. All the details of an aristocratic, piedmontese residence of the eighteenth century are reconstructed in the rooms of this historic building which was designed by Amedeo Castellamonte. The collection is the fruit of decades of research from all over Italy. Particularly outstanding exhibits are a Madonna from the fifteenth century and six Empire style chairs which were a wedding present for Paolina Bonaparte.

Giorgio Persano

The Galleria Giorgio Persano is one of Turin's popular hangouts for all those lovers of art. Located right in the center of the city, this gallery showcases the works of some very popular names like Giovanni Anselmo, Marco Bagnoli, Tina Bepperling, Jean-Pierre Bertrand and many others. It also participates in several art fairs; Art Basel and ARCO to name a few. To know more about their latest exhibitions, check out their website.

GAM - Galleria Civica d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea

The Galleria Civica d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea (GAM) is an art-lover's paradise. Displayed here are some of the most important and beautiful photographs, sculptures and paintings of modern times; you will find that they cover varied genres, like Italian Divisionism and Pop Art. GAM has a permanent collection of art work on display by artists such as Massimo D'Azeglio, Fontanesi and Pellizza da Volpedo. From time to time it also provides upcoming artists the opportunity to showcase their art. It has also opened a video library that boasts of a unique collection of video art, short films, documentaries and other cinematic masterpieces. So, if you're in Turin, make sure to drop in.

Parco d'Arte Vivente

The brainchild of artist Piero Gilardi, the Parco d'Arte Vivente is a futuristic space where art-crazy people can meet and bring out their creativity. This eco-friendly art-site aims to provide an opportunity to re-establish social liaisons with the help of artistic experimentation. The main building is in the center of the park from where pathways lead to seven workshops. These workshops, held by various talented artists attend to art and nature-based exercises. A host of artists are already involved in this project including the likes of Enrica Borghi, Richi Ferrero, Dominique Gonzalez Foerster, and Nils Udo, amongst others.

Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli

If paintings of the great masters such as Canaletto, Canova and Matisse interest you then you must head to the Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli. This art gallery, which opened in 2002, was a gift to the city of Turin from the president of the automobile company, Fiat. Sitting pretty in the neighborhood of Lingotto, this art-site exhibits a permanent collection by well-known artists as well as holds temporary exhibitions. When you are tired of gazing through the gallery rest your feet at the food and refreshments section, or browse through the library. For the not-so-art-savvy crowd, there are private tours and audio-guides in Italian and English. Check the website for information on events.