Mole Antonelliana joins Heritage Days on 26-27 September
Published on 09/27/2026 at 16:33 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
The Mole Antonelliana in Turin hosts European Heritage Days guided visits on 26 and 27 September 2026. The Museo Nazionale del Cinema is using the occasion to explore the origins of moving images inside one of Italy's best-known buildings.
European Heritage Days bring two cinema visits
The programme runs from 4pm on Saturday 26 September to 2.40pm on Sunday 27 September 2026. The museum has scheduled two guided visits to its Archaeology of Cinema section as part of the European Heritage Days programme.
The route introduces visitors to forms of entertainment that preceded cinema. It covers shadow theatre, optical boxes, magic lanterns, phantasmagoria, optical theatre and chronophotography before reaching the invention of the cinematograph. The Museo Nazionale del Cinema states that the visits are free, but advance booking is compulsory. European Heritage Days programme
Mole Antonelliana links cinema history with its architecture
The museum occupies the Mole Antonelliana, whose exhibition route rises through several levels of the building. The Archaeology of Cinema section is one part of a larger presentation that also includes the Cinema Machine, the Poster Gallery, the Temple Hall and a helical ramp used for temporary exhibitions.
Alessandro Antonelli designed the building in 1862 as a synagogue for Turin's Jewish community. After the City of Turin acquired the project, construction was completed in 1889. The building reached its present height of 167 metres in 1906, while the museum's Panoramic Terrace stands 85 metres above ground level. The link between the weekend programme and this setting is direct: visitors study early optical devices inside the building that now houses Italy's national cinema museum. museum and landmark details
From optical toys to the cinematograph
The special visits focus on the transition from still images and optical illusions to recorded moving pictures. That subject complements the museum's permanent route, which presents cinema through devices, production stages, costumes, sets, storyboards and film displays.
The venue's vertical arrangement also shapes the visit. The main museum route unfolds upwards, while the Panoramic Terrace occupies the upper part of the structure. The European Heritage Days programme instead concentrates on the lower historical story of pre-cinema and the inventions that made later film possible.
Visiting Mole Antonelliana: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The European Heritage Days visits take place on 26 and 27 September 2026 at the Mole Antonelliana in Turin, with the published programme running from 4pm on Saturday to 2.40pm on Sunday.
- The Museo Nazionale del Cinema is offering two guided visits to the Archaeology of Cinema. Booking is compulsory, and the museum states that the special visits are free.
- The venue is at Via Montebello 20 in Turin. The building is home to the Museo Nazionale del Cinema and includes the museum ticket office and visitor route.
- The wider building includes stairs, a helical ramp and a Cupola route reaching the Panoramic Terrace 85 metres above ground. Visitors considering the ascent should note that it is a walking route through the Cupola shell.
- The official language is Italian and the national currency is the euro.
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Frequently asked questions about Mole Antonelliana
When do European Heritage Days take place at Mole Antonelliana?
The special guided visits take place on 26 and 27 September 2026, with the published programme spanning Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon.
What can visitors see during the Heritage Days visits?
The visits cover the Archaeology of Cinema, including shadow theatre, optical boxes, magic lanterns, phantasmagoria, optical theatre and chronophotography.
Where is Mole Antonelliana and how do you get there?
The building is at Via Montebello 20 in Turin, Italy, and houses the Museo Nazionale del Cinema.
