Museo Diocesano e Salita al Campanile del Duomo

Turin (TO)

AM Piedmont and Aosta Valley

The museum tells the story of the Church of Turin through its most significant artefacts: from the Basilica del Salvatore to the two early Christian basilicas and the ancient cemetery, to the 15th-century crypt commissioned by Cardinal della Rovere. The exhibition also includes furnishings, vestments, reliquaries and furnishings from the Cathedral and other churches in the city. The visit is completed by a climb up the Bell Tower of Turin Cathedral, which offers a privileged view of the city's history and urban landscape.

Sala espositiva sotterranea con soffitto a volta, tappeto rosso, un bassorilievo in pietra bianca e vetrine con arredi sacri dorati.

The Diocesan Museum of Turin, dedicated to sacred art, is located in the lower church of St John the Baptist Cathedral. This space, identical in size and layout to the cathedral above, was originally intended to house the tombs of the Savoy family and the city's archbishops.

Archaeological excavations conducted in recent years – now perfectly integrated into the museum itinerary – have unearthed the remains of three early Christian churches, demolished to make way for the current cathedral. For this reason, the museum layout was designed with full respect for the pre-existing architectural and archaeological remains, highlighting their significant historical value.

The exhibition is organised into thematic areas:

The initial sections illustrate the evolution of the liturgy of Christian initiation, with particular attention to the baptism and to theEucharist;
followed by an area dedicated to Marian devotion;
the central space is reserved for the liturgy of Word, with a comparison between altars before and after the Catholic Reformation.

The route continues with the art gallery, which houses important works organised by type, period and materials, and with the archaeological section, which recounts the complex historical stratification of the area.

Among the most significant pieces:

the first baptismal font of the Cathedral (late 15th century), in stone;
the Baptism of Christ (1509–1510) by Martino Spanzotti;
a particular female statue in Greek marble, probably reused and perhaps part of an ancient Lamentation;
the treatise on architecture by Leon Battista Alberti, displayed in the section dedicated to the Renaissance and pre-Tridentine liturgy.

The museum also offers thematic routes, guided tours e educational activities aimed at audiences of all ages.