The Museo Egizio (Eyptian Museum)

The Museo Egizio (Egyptian Museum), was founded in 1824 and is housed in the austere Palazzo dell'Accademia delle Scienze. It has the most important collection of Egyptian artifacts outside of Cairo. A statue of Ramses II (one of the world's most important pieces of Egyptian art) and a massive papyrus collection are among the museum's numerous highlights. The tomb of royal architect Kha and his wife Merit, which dates from 1400 BC and was discovered in 1906, contains 500 funerary and domestic items.

Both humanoid coffins are immensely touching, but Merit's depiction is one of the most hauntingly beautiful ever seen, done in cartonnage (layers of plaster and linen), gold leaf, and glass inlays. In recent years, a substantial refurbishment was completed, and while the old museum's rambling chambers retained their dusty beauty, the new minimalist spaces nearly doubled the amount of collection available for public viewing. Splicing in factual images and films of the early twentieth-century digs, dramatic lighting, and a well-articulated chronological narrative combine for a fascinating experience. Allow enough time to visit: you might easily spend a half-day here.

Address: Via Accademia delle Scienze, 6, 10123 Torino
Website: museoegizio.it