Mole Antonelliana
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Mole Antonelliana is Turin’s 167.5-metre, dome-crowned landmark at Via Montebello 20, named after architect Alessandro Antonelli. It houses the National Museum of Cinema, exploring filmmaking from shadow puppetry and magic lanterns to special effects and virtual reality.
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Wikibusters · CC BY-SA 4.0 · edited
What's on here
Why go
- Watch Italian film classics on giant overhead screens from red reclining chairs in the Great Temple.
- See Christopher Reeve’s original cape from Superman (1978).
Opening hours
TodayClosedShow all
Monday09:00 – 19:00
TuesdayClosed
Wednesday09:00 – 19:00
Thursday09:00 – 19:00
Friday09:00 – 19:00
Saturday09:00 – 19:00
Sunday09:00 – 19:00
Don't miss
- Catalan vaultsLook up at the Catalan vaults beneath the ground-floor atrium.Ground-floor ceiling beneath the atrium
- Brick domeSee the brick dome, described as the limit of traditional construction without reinforced concrete.Dome
What's inside
- The museum spirals through five floors, covering early cinema, cameras, posters and video installations.
- The ground floor contains the ticket office, museum shop and an exhibition space of more than 270 square metres.
- The Archaeology of Cinema has eight themed areas about optical illusions and early cinema devices.
- Museum objects include magic lanterns, optical illusions, photographs, drawings, models, props and costumes.
- Temple Hall (Great Temple) includes chapels devoted to cinema, Cabiria and Turin as a cinema city, plus CineVR and a video game zone.
- The Cinema Machine explores directing, screenwriting, acting, costumes, sets and storyboards. It includes a tribute to Titanus, a film production company.
- The Poster Gallery traces cinema history through posters and changing graphic and advertising styles.
With kids
- Hands-on models explain how early pre-cinema devices work and their technical principles.
- The Temple Hall has a permanent video game area.
- The ground-floor lobby has a visual and tactile introduction to the building.
- For school groups: short lessons cover film language and history, historical or literary topics, and the museum’s collections. Advance booking is required.
Tips for your visit
- The helical exhibition ramp starts in the Temple Hall; the guided dome ascent follows the cupola’s inner staircase. They are different routes.
- Temporary exhibitions are held along the helical ramp into the dome.
- Pushchairs and prams may enter the museum but cannot go into the panoramic lift cabin.
Interesting facts4
-
3,000 digitized
The lobby’s digital jukebox contains more than 3,000 digitized film soundtracks.
About us | Museo Nazionale del Cinema -
The original winged Genius that once crowned the building can now be seen inside.
Mole Antonelliana - Wikipedia -
Friedrich Nietzsche admired the building and associated it with Zarathustra.
Mole Antonelliana - Wikipedia -
Antonelli originally planned a five-pointed star for the summit; a winged Genius was installed instead.
Mole Antonelliana - Wikipedia
Shorts
History
Construction began in 1863. A storm brought it down in 1904.
- 1862Alessandro Antonelli designed the Mole as a synagogue for Turin’s Jewish community.
- 1863Construction began.
- 1869The Jewish community halted work after costly changes increased the planned height.
- 1876The community withdrew after spending 692,000 lire, and the city took over the unfinished project.
- 1888–1889Antonelli died in 1888. His son Costanzo completed the building, and a nearly four-metre winged Genius was installed in April 1889.
Show all
- 1889The building was dedicated to Victor Emmanuel II.
- 1895–1938A Museum of the Risorgimento was established here in 1895; the city housed its museum in the building from 1908 to 1938.
- 1904A storm brought down the winged Genius.
- 1930A reinforced-concrete frame altered the interior and reduced the building’s ability to sway.
- 1953–1961Until 1953, the Mole was the world’s tallest brickwork structure. A storm and tornado destroyed nearly 47 metres of the spire in 1953; it was rebuilt in 1961 with a metal structure clad in stone.
- 1996–1999A renovation by François Confino included an elevator overhaul and a five-level vertical museum.
- 2000The National Museum of Cinema reopened in the building on 20 July.
- 2004The building and museum interiors featured extensively in Dopo Mezzanotte.
How to get there
- BusBuses 61, 55, 56 and 68 serve the museum.
- TramTrams 13, 15 and 16 serve the museum.
Accessibility
- Dedicated entrance Wheelchair users can use a dedicated entrance and receive priority access with one companion.
- Wheelchair access and exhibition lift Galleries, entrances and facilities are wheelchair accessible. Museum staff assist with the lift to exhibition areas.
- Tactile paving A tactile route leads from outside to reception.
- Braille route maps Panels on every floor provide Braille maps of the exhibition route.
- Assistance animals Guide dogs and other trained assistance animals are welcome.
- Italian Sign Language tours Visitors who are deaf or hard of hearing can book tours with an Italian Sign Language interpreter.
- Italian Sign Language and subtitled content Italian-language audiovisual content with Italian Sign Language interpretation and subtitles is available by QR code or NFC.
- Sensory kits Ten kits with tools and noise-reducing headphones are available to autistic and neurodivergent visitors.
- Adjustable digital captions Archaeology of Cinema captions can enlarge text and images and adjust contrast.
- Tactile panels in temporary exhibitions Panels include Braille and reproductions of selected works.
Sources: Mole Antonelliana - Wikipedia · Turin - Wikivoyage (see) · Mole Antonelliana | Museo Nazionale del Cinema · About us | Museo Nazionale del Cinema · Accessibility | Museo Nazionale del Cinema · Mole Antonelliana - Wikipedia · Mole Antonelliana - Wikipedia · Mole Antonelliana - Wikipedia · Scuole | Museo Nazionale del Cinema · checked 24 Sep 2026
Where
Via Montebello 20, Turin
- Phone
- +39 011 813 8564
Questions and answers
Was the building ever used as a synagogue?
The Jewish community never used it.
What happened to the star at the summit?
The copper star fell in 1953 and was replaced by a smaller, three-dimensional twelve-pointed star.
Where can I buy museum souvenirs?
The museum shop is on the ground floor.
Did the museum redesign change the original interior?
François Confino’s renovation introduced a five-level vertical museum and included an overhaul of the lift.
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