Cinema Museum and Mole Antonelliana: Guided Tour

Imposing and towering over the city with its elongated dome, the Mole is the star of the city’s skyline, standing out in the middle of downtown and leaving all who observe it speechless.

An undisputed symbol of Turin, this marvelous site was defined by Friedrich Nietzsche “perhaps the most brilliant work of architecture ever created.”

Designed in 1862 by architect Alessandro Antonelli, after whom it is named, it is now one of the tallest buildings in Italy at 167 meters.

Initially conceived as a Synagogue, it was later converted into a monument to the Unification of Italy, while today it is home to the National Cinema Museum.

Over the years, the Mole has had a rather troubled history, beginning with its construction.

It was originally envisioned as a 47-meter-high domed building that was to be a Synagogue commissioned by the Israelite Community of Turin. But the initial design was revised by the architect so many times during the course of construction that, due to lack of funds, they decided to close the site. The building was completed in 1889 under the direction of Costanzo Antonelli, son of Alessandro after being taken over by the City of Turin.

It was at the time, the tallest masonry building in the world and was immediately converted to a monument to the Unification of Italy.

Today it houses the famous National Museum of Cinema, one of the most important cinema museums in the world and the only one of its kind in Italy.

In addition to its height, the Mole boasted another record: in the late 19th century, it was one of the first buildings in Europe to be lit with city gas.

But what is such an eclectic and original construction doing in Turin? And what are the special features that the Cinema Museum hosts today? All you have to do to find out is to take part in this semi-private experience.

It will be an exciting visit in many ways: both for the curiosities related to the extraordinary architecture of the building and for the interesting film exhibition on display inside, which is unique and suitable for young and old alike.

After meeting your guide at the meeting point in front of the entrance to the Cinema Museum, you will have the opportunity to reach the top of the Mole by means of its panoramic elevator and from there to admire the extraordinary view of the city and the Alpine arc surrounding Turin.

Afterwards, the tour will continue through the halls of the Cinema Museum where you can trace the history of cinema from its origins to the present day.

What to expect:

The building

The building that houses the Mole and the National Cinema Museum is distinguished by its distinctive square-based structure made of brick and stone walls. An architectural masterpiece with its unmistakable dome and spire topped with a star. Its slender shape contrasts with the massive base, creating balance between monumentality and lightness. Elegant and majestic, it will be impossible to resist the urge to take a photo from the bottom up before starting your tour!

The Spire

One of the most recognizable and symbolic elements of the Mole Antonelliana is its summit. The spire was originally designed and built of masonry, but following a violent cloudburst that damaged it in 1953, it was rebuilt with metal materials, ensuring greater stability and safety.
Initially, on the top of the building was a five-pointed star depicting the “Star of Italy” placed on the head of a statue of a “Winged Genius.” Following the restoration of the spire, it was replaced by a three-dimensional, twelve-pointed star.

Elevator to the Mole Antonelliana

This extraordinary structure, unique in its shape and height, is a masterpiece of 19th-century architecture. Its name “Mole” (“size” in Italian) comes from its imposing height of about 167 meters, while its adjective comes from the man who designed it, architect Alessandro Antonelli.
One of the highlights of this experience is definitely the panoramic elevator ride to the top of the Mole. From the summit, in fact, you can admire Turin from above and beyond.
The elevator ride is short, about 59 seconds, with an open-air, single-span, no-stops ride that will leave you breathless. The elevator, with its transparent glass walls also allows visitors to admire the interior of the building as they ascend. The view of Turin from the rooftop terrace will leave you breathless: it will be possible to have a 360-degree view of the city of Turin, the Alps and the nearby Superga hill.
The Mole is said to be a catalyst for positive energy, thanks to the spire absorbing it from the sky. When you get into the elevator, it is like absorbing all this energy. Just suggestion or truth? It’s up to you to find out!

The National Museum of Cinema

The second part of the guided tour continues inside the National Museum of Cinema.
This place is a truly interactive and dynamic museum that allows people to spend time in an enjoyable and engaging way. The assets preserved today within the museum are invaluable: more than 23 thousand devices, 820 thousand film documents, more than 500 thousand posters and much more.
The museum spirals upward on several levels, creating a spectacular presentation from the origins of cinema to the present day. The first part of the visit is dedicated to the Archaeology of Cinema, where early instruments related to photography and then cinema can be seen.
We then move on to the Film Machine, a section illustrating the steps for making a film. Walking through this section we then come to the Poster Gallery, where posters related to major films are displayed.
The Temple Hall, on the other hand, is considered the beating heart of the Museum. Here you can admire spectacular sets, divided by film genres. We then move on to the section on Cinema-Television. Get ready for an immersive experience in the magic of cinema, similar to watching a movie, among rooms and spaces full of sets, projections and extraordinary lighting effects.
The exhibition includes an extensive collection of iconic objects and costumes, as well as displays of early film equipment up to the most spectacular modern-day special effects and virtual reality. If you are a movie buff this is really the place to be!

IMPORTANT:Visiting the Dome is not recommended for visitors with mobility difficulties, severe vision or hearing defects, heart or lung disease, claustrophobia, disorientation syndromes (labyrinthitis, vertigo, etc.).