I’m circling back with impressions from our very first visit to Turin, setting off from Genoa. Near Genoa, the highway feels like an endless succession of tunnels, but once you enter Piedmont, the road suddenly widens, and ahead rise the snow-capped Alpine peaks in all their glory. The landscape is truly breathtaking.

Leaving the motorway for Turin, church domes, imposing towers and baroque façades begin to take shape, giving the sense of stepping onto a European film set rather than entering a real city.

In just four days, we’re transported back in time—from the ancient tombs of Egypt to the gold-adorned halls of royal power, and finally into a chapel bathed in soft light that houses one of Christianity’s most mysterious relics.

🏺 Egyptian Museum (Museo Egizio)

The moment we stepped through the museum’s grand entrance, the city outside seemed to vanish. The light dimmed, the air cooled, and suddenly we were no longer in Turin—we were in Thebes, Memphis, the Valley of the Kings.

Stone statues towered above us, their faces worn but still commanding. Hieroglyphs danced across ancient papyrus, whispering secrets in a language we couldn’t read but somehow felt. A golden sarcophagus shimmered under soft lighting, its occupant long gone, yet eerily present.

Founded in 1824, the Museo Egizio is more than a museum—it’s a portal to a civilization that shaped the world. Its collection spans over 30,000 artifacts, many dating back more than 4,000 years, from the Old Kingdom (c. 2700 BCE) to the Roman period.

Among the most unforgettable treasures:

• 🏛️ The Tomb of Kha and Merit – Discovered intact in 1906, this is one of the few undisturbed tombs ever found in Egypt. It belonged to a royal architect and his wife, and includes their furniture, tools, cosmetics, and even preserved food, offering a rare, intimate glimpse into daily life over 3,400 years ago.
• 🗿 The Statue of Ramses II – Towering and majestic, this granite colossus of Egypt’s most iconic pharaoh (c. 13th century BCE) commands the room with timeless authority.
• 🏺 The Temple of Ellesyia – A full rock-cut temple, gifted by Egypt to Italy in the 1960s and relocated here to save it from flooding during the construction of the Aswan Dam. It’s a surreal experience to walk through a temple carved over 3,000 years ago, now preserved in the heart of Turin.
• 📜 The Royal Canon of Turin – A fragile yet vital papyrus listing over 300 pharaohs and their reigns. Written in hieratic script, it’s one of the most important documents for reconstructing Egypt’s dynastic history.
• 🧴 The Papyrus and Daily Life Collections – From spells in the Book of the Dead to mirrors, combs, and jewelry, these artifacts reveal the deeply human side of ancient Egypt.

Every room felt like a scene from an epic—a tomb unearthed, a god remembered, a story retold.

🕰️ Historical Note: Jean-François Champollion, the father of Egyptology, studied here and famously said, “The road to Memphis and Thebes passes through Turin.”

🕒 Opening Hours: Tuesday–Sunday, 9:00 AM – 6:30 PM (closed Mondays)

🎟️ Tickets:
General admission: ~€18
Discounts for students, seniors, and families
Free entry on the first Sunday of each month (check in advance)

📲 Tip: Book online to skip the line. Don’t miss the Gallery of Kings and the underground level for a more immersive experience.

👑 Royal Museums Complex (Musei Reali)

We emerged from the shadows of ancient Egypt blinking into the light of modern Turin, still half-lost in the world of pharaohs and forgotten gods. But the story wasn’t over—it was only shifting scenes.

Just a short walk away, another chapter awaited us. This time, the setting was not the desert, but the throne room. The Museo Egizio had taken us deep into the past; now, the Musei Reali would lift the curtain on a different kind of power—the grandeur of kings, queens, and the architects of a unified Italy.

The Musei Reali isn’t just one museum—it’s an entire kingdom under one roof. The complex includes the Royal Palace, Royal Armory, Royal Library, Chapel of the Holy Shroud, Sabauda Gallery, and Archaeological Museum. Each space is a chapter in a story of ambition, artistry, and empire.

Among the most unforgettable moments:

• Walking through the Royal Apartments, where silk wallpaper, frescoed ceilings, and gold-leafed furniture whisper of banquets, diplomacy, and dynastic drama
• Standing beneath the soaring dome of the Chapel of the Holy Shroud, designed by Guarino Guarini—a masterpiece of Baroque architecture and spiritual symbolism
• Gazing at Leonardo da Vinci’s self-portrait in the Royal Library, its faded lines still pulsing with genius
• Exploring the Royal Armory, where suits of armor gleam like silver ghosts and swords rest beside pistols engraved with royal crests
• Wandering the Sabauda Gallery, home to Renaissance and Baroque masterpieces by Van Dyck, Rubens, and Veronese

Each room resembled a movie set, evoking a coronation, a conspiracy, a love letter immortalized in oil paint and marble.

📸📜 About:
A majestic complex that includes the Royal Palace, Royal Armory, Royal Library, Chapel of the Holy Shroud, Sabauda Gallery, and Archaeological Museum—all accessible with a single combined ticket.

🏰 Historical Note:
The Royal Palace was once the seat of the House of Savoy, Italy’s former royal family. The Royal Library houses a rare self-portrait by Leonardo da Vinci, and the Royal Armory features one of Europe’s finest collections of weapons and armor.

🕒 Opening Hours:
Tuesday–Sunday, 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM (closed Mondays)

🎟️ Tickets:

• Combined ticket: ~€15–€20
• Includes access to all museums and gardens
• Free entry on the first Sunday of each month

📸 Travel Tip:
Buy the combined ticket and arrive early to explore at your own pace. Wear comfortable shoes—this place is vast. Don’t miss the Royal Armory and be sure to take a break in the Royal Gardens. The views from the upper floors are truly fit for royalty.

✝️ Shroud Museum (Museo della Sindone)

Just a few streets away, tucked behind unassuming walls, we found ourselves drawn into a different kind of reverence—a museum not of gold or glory, but of silence, wonder, and one of the most debated relics in human history.

My preparations, both practical and spiritual, for touring the Museo della Sindone were thorough, yet everything fell apart. The Vatican-controlled Holy Shroud remains off-limits to the public after the new Supreme Pontiff ordered its exhibition suspended. That made the situation all the more disappointing, as our sole purpose in coming to Turin had been to witness this relic.

At the heart of the Museo della Sindone is the Shroud of Turin, believed by many to be the burial cloth of Jesus Christ. The original is rarely displayed and kept in the nearby Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, but here, in this quiet museum, its story unfolds in layers—history, science, faith, and mystery intertwined.

We stood before a full-scale replica of the Shroud, its faint image barely visible at first glance. But the longer we looked, the more it revealed: the outline of a man, wounds that mirror crucifixion, and a presence that felt both ancient and immediate.

The museum does not seek to convince or convert. Instead, it presents:

• Historical accounts tracing the Shroud’s journey from Jerusalem to Constantinople, France, and finally Turin
• Scientific studies—radiocarbon dating, textile analysis, and forensic imaging—each offering clues, contradictions, and questions
• Multimedia exhibits that explore the Shroud’s cultural and spiritual impact across centuries.

📜 About: A small but powerful museum dedicated to the Shroud of Turin, believed by many to be the burial cloth of Jesus Christ. The museum explores the relic’s history, scientific investigations, and cultural significance through replicas, documents, and multimedia exhibits.

🕰️ Historical Note: The Shroud has been in Turin since 1578 and is rarely displayed publicly. This museum offers a deep, balanced look at its mystery, inviting both faith and skepticism.

🕒 Opening Hours: Daily, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM & 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM

🎟️ Tickets:

• General admission: ~€8
• Discounts available for students and seniors

📿 Travel Tip: This museum is quiet and contemplative—ideal for a reflective visit. Pair it with a stop at the nearby Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, where the original Shroud is kept. Whether you’re religious or simply curious, the experience is deeply moving.

🧳 Final Thoughts

Turin didn’t just welcome us, it revealed itself to us like a movie, with each museum a new scene and each artifact a line from the past. We came for the charm and the cappuccinos. We left with our heads full of pharaohs and palaces, sacred fabrics and silent mysteries. In just a few days, we travelled through 4,000 years of human history without ever leaving the city center. From the sands of ancient Egypt to the marble halls of Italian royalty, to the silent veneration of a relic that still sparks debate today, Turin offered us not just a trip, but a story.

If you’re looking for a destination that surprises, educates, and moves you all at once, Turin is your next great adventure.