Mole Antonelliana

The Mole Antonelliana has become a symbol of Turin, just as the Eiffel Tower is for Paris. This building is a masonry structure with an immense dome of a particular style that towers over the city with its 167 metres of height. It has also become the seat of the National Cinema Museum.
Designed by Alessandro Antonelli, it was inaugurated in 1889 after 26 years of work. The initial project of 1863 aimed to create a Jewish temple, then the municipality took it over in 1878 with the aim of dedicating the building to Victor Emmanuel II. In 1905, the spire with the statue of the winged genius was replaced by a star four metres in diameter.

Description and visit

The building is visible from a large part of the city, with its particular style blending neoclassical and neo-Gothic forms.
Its square base supports the gigantic dome of steel-reinforced concrete, whose width gradually narrows with height. Its interior is decorated with beams.
Inside, a panoramic glass lift leads to the tempietto located at 85 metres, offering a panorama over the city. It was installed during the restorations that followed the Second World War. The ascent can be continued on foot at certain time slots.

National Cinema Museum

The Mole houses the National Cinema Museum inaugurated in July 2000. It is the only museum of its kind in Italy, with five thematic sections: archaeology of cinema, machinery, posters, installations, and a large hall with the great themes of cinema. In practice, the first experiments with all the objects that contributed to the birth of cinema. In the second, one discovers the behind the scenes of the silent film “Calabria”. The third exhibits the different aspects of the Italian film industry. On the fourth level, a gallery of posters retraces cinema advertising and the presentation of films since the beginning of the 20th century.

Map and address

Via Montebello, 20, 10124 Torino TO

Information

• Official website: www.museocinema.it
• Wikipedia article: fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mole_Antonelliana