Museo del Carcere “Le Nuove”
Photo: Own work — CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Explore the Museo del Carcere “Le Nuove” in Turin, a former prison turned museum, offering guided tours through cells and exhibits detailing Italy’s history from 1870 to 1986.
Planning your visit
Le Nuove operated as a prison from 1870 to 1986, and it held political prisoners at every stage of modern Italian history — anarchists and socialists before the First World War, opponents of Fascism through the 1920s and 30s, and, during the German occupation of 1943 to 1945, partisans, Jews and resistance members held by the SS in a dedicated wing before deportation or execution.
The museum is guided-tour only, and the guides have included former chaplains and people connected to the prison's history. The route covers the radial cell blocks, the isolation cells, the German wing, the chapel with its separated compartments so prisoners could not see one another, and the execution area. Cells retain graffiti.
The building's architecture is itself the subject: a panopticon-influenced design of the 1860s intended as a model of enlightened penal reform, which the twentieth century put to other uses.
An adjoining air-raid shelter is included in some visits. Allow ninety minutes. Bookable options include guided visits of the prison and shelter. Current availability is listed below.
Before you book
Where is Museo del Carcere “Le Nuove”?
Museo del Carcere “Le Nuove” is in Turin, Italy. The map on this page marks its exact location.
How long should I allow for Museo del Carcere “Le Nuove”?
Allow ninety minutes. That is the time the collection itself takes at an unhurried pace, before any queue.
Do I need to book Museo del Carcere “Le Nuove” in advance?
Guided tours run to a fixed schedule and small group sizes, so they are usually booked ahead.
