Turin's revamped Egyptian museum inaugurated - GazzettaDelSud

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Turin's revamped Egyptian museum inaugurated

31/03/2015

50-million-euro overhaul 'amazing' says culture minister

Rome, March 31 - Turin's Egyptian museum, the Museo Egizio, is ready to win over even more fans after a 50-million-euro revamp. On Wednesday visitors will have the chance to see the whole of the museum, famous for housing the world's second-largest collection of Egyptian antiquities, for the first time in three and half years years after the completion of renovation work. "I'm certain it will be an international and national success," Culture Minister Dario Franceschini told ANSA after touring the museum's new layout at an official inauguration Tuesday. "It's an amazing collection, as we already knew, with a highly modern layout which means the works are not crowded. "There is a lot of space, which is excellent for them to be enjoyed, as we can do today. "And the educational part has been enhanced, with very well-produced explanations. "Today museums have to be a real experience for the visitor. The way of exploiting museum collections has changed today and Turin's Museo Egizio interprets this new philosophy perfectly. "Unfortunately, many Italian museums do not respond the demands of modern tourists. They need addition services, including digital ones, and related activities, bookshops and so on". The museum did not close during the renovation, but stayed open, while individual sections were shut off for specific periods to be worked on. Officials expressed delight that the work was finished on schedule so that the public can see the whole museum again as planned on April 1. The lion's share of the restoration was funded by private institutions, with around half coming from Compagnia di San Paolo banking foundation. "The new Egyptian museum is a model," said Franceschini. "Cooperation between the public and private sectors have made it possible to safeguard a great quantity of antiquities and lay down the foundations for a new museum based on research. "And thanks to an incredible team effort, it was possible to respect the (opening) date of April 1". The museum houses the biggest collection of Egyptian antiquities outside the Egypt Museum in Cairo. It owns three different versions of the Egyptian Book of the Dead, including the most ancient copy known. With an array of mummies, sarcophagi, statues, tombs and papyri as well as an entire ancient temple, the institute is one of Turin's top tourist draws, attracting over half a million visitors a year. "Turin is maintaining its position as the second capital, after Cairo, of international Egyptology," said Turin Mayor Piero Fassino.