A lotta bit of Egypt in Italy
Museo Egizio
The Egyptian Museum in Turin was established in 1824, and today it houses what is considered to be the second largest collection of Egyptian antiquities in the world, after the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
The first Egyptian object to arrive in Turin was the Mensa Isiaca, in 1630. The Mensa Isiaca is an elaborate bronze tablet, likely of Roman origin but imitating an Egyptian style, that was used as an altar to Isis. This object inspired King Charles Emmanuel II to commission Vitaliano Donati, a botanist, to go to Egypt and “acquire” objects for his collection. His spoils included 300 pieces from Karnak and Coptos, the heart of the collection held today by the Museo Egizio.
King Charles Felix further enlarged the museum’s acquisitions when he purchased the Drovetti collection in 1824, which had been looted by Bernardino Drovetti, the French General Consul, during his stay in Egypt. It consisted of over 5,000 objects, including statues, papyri, and mummies (the last of which seems like a questionable “object” to collect, but I digress).
More objects were added to the museum collection over the years, including those once belonging to Giuseppe Sossio in 1833 (over 1,200 objects), the finds of Ernesto Schiaparelli from 1900-1920 (some 30,000 objects), and the Temple of Ellesiya, given by the Egyptian Government after Italy came to its aid as part of the international campaign to relocate Nubian monuments in 1960-1980.
The Museo Egizio’s collection has been housed in the same building from the moment of its conception, with a brief stint in Agliè during WWII, moved there for its protection. The building was originally called the Collegio dei Nobili, designed by Michelangelo Garove in 1679. It was later altered by Giuseppe Maria Talucchi and Alessandro Mazzucchetti, and further expanded in the 19th century.
The Temple of Ellesyia was originally located near the archeological site Qasr Ibrim, in Lower Nubia. It was built under Pharaoh Thutmosis III in the 18th dynasty (1549-1292 BCE) and dedicated to Amun, Horus, and Satis. Eventually, the temple became a Christian place of worship, with carvings of crosses and five-pointed stars found on its walls. It was moved from its original spot to Turin in 1967 as part of the campaign to save the monuments of Nubia, as it would otherwise have been submerged under Lake Nasser after the construction of the Aswan High Dam.
Gold Colored Fox 