Mole Antonelliana

Why go

The Mole turns an unusually ambitious nineteenth-century building into an experience you can see from across Turin and from within. Its soaring central space houses the cinema museum; the lift offers a separate way to appreciate the building's height and the city around it. Decide whether architecture, exhibitions or the view is your priority.

What to look for

• The Mole's steep dome and spire dominate central Turin's skyline.
• The central interior holds the National Museum of Cinema.
• A panoramic lift reaches a viewing terrace above the museum.

The full story

Alessandro Antonelli began the Mole in the 1860s as a synagogue for Turin's Jewish community. The project grew far beyond its original scale and became a difficult fit for its patrons. It was eventually taken over by the city and completed as a monumental building rather than used for its first purpose. That unusual path helps explain its distinctive form: the high dome and spire make it a landmark before a visitor reaches the door. The National Museum of Cinema now uses the great interior volume for exhibitions, giving the building a second identity. The panoramic lift adds another reading of Antonelli's design by carrying visitors upward through the space. Seeing the museum and riding the lift are related experiences, but each has its own appeal. The skyline view begins with understanding the structure that makes it possible.

Useful to know

• Decide whether you want the lift, the cinema galleries or both before choosing a visit option.
• Look at the Mole from outside as well as inside; its silhouette is part of its appeal.
• Check current lift operation separately if the terrace is your main reason to go.

Your next visit

Estimated · Declared scenario and planning estimates; no live opening, weather, queue or booking service.