Museo Egizio di Torino Unveils Renovated Galleries for Bicentennial

For its 200th anniversary, the Museo Egizio in Turin has inaugurated a new installation of the Galleria dei Re, designed by Studio Oma of Rotterdam in collaboration with the museum's Egyptologists. The gallery now features translucent walls and abundant natural light, replacing the previous dark, theatrical setting by Dante Ferretti from 18 years ago. Statues are lowered to eye level, allowing visitors to see hieroglyphs and details. The layout mimics an Egyptian temple, with statues of pharaohs and deities facing each other to evoke the original sphinx alignments. A second major project is the reinstallation of the Tempio di Ellesiya, a rock-cut chapel donated by Egypt to Italy in 1966, now reconstructed on the ground floor with independent free access from via Eleonora Duse. A videomapping traces its history. The overall architectural renovation of the 19th-century Collegio dei Nobili building will conclude in summer 2025 with a glass-and-steel courtyard cover called Piazza Egizia. Curator Federico Poole emphasized that the new design prioritizes visibility and natural light, restoring the statues' original outdoor context.