Mole Antonelliana & National Cinema Museum

In 1863, Turin's Jewish community commissioned the architect Alessandro Antonelli to design a new synagogue, a project made possible by Italy's recent emancipation of its Jewish citizens. Antonelli, however, could not resist grand ambition: his plans grew taller and more expensive with every revision, far beyond anything the community had approved or could still afford. By the 1870s, unable to keep financing an increasingly monumental building, the congregation withdrew from the project altogether.

The city of Turin took over construction, and Antonelli kept building for almost two more decades, chasing an ever more soaring silhouette. Finished in 1889, four years after his death, the Mole reached 167.5 metres, making it the tallest brick building in Europe for generations. Rather than crown the spire with a religious symbol, city officials topped it with a plain star, turning what began as a house of worship into a secular monument to Italian unity.

Since 2000, the Mole's vast central hall — a domed space tall enough to swallow a ten-storey building — has housed the National Museum of Cinema, one of the most theatrical film museums anywhere. Exhibits along the base of the nave trace the story of moving images from magic lanterns and shadow theatre to the golden age of Hollywood, while visitors can recline in tilted armchairs scattered across the temple floor and watch clips projected onto the dome high overhead.

The building is instantly recognisable across Italy: it appears on the national side of the Italian 2-cent euro coin, and is often cited as the tallest museum in the world. A glass panoramic lift added in 1961 glides straight up through the open volume of the nave to an observation deck near the base of the spire, with the Alps visible on clear days — a ride almost as thrilling as the view itself.

The panoramic lift and the museum can be visited together or separately; in high season it's worth booking the combined ticket online in advance, since queues for the lift build up quickly, especially around sunset. The museum's galleries wind upward around the central nave, so allow at least ninety minutes to see the collection before heading up to the viewing deck.

Clear days, especially after rain has washed the air, tend to give the best visibility toward the Alps, and late afternoon light suits photos of the skyline from the deck particularly well. The Mole is a short walk from Piazza Castello and the Egyptian Museum, making it easy to fold into a morning or afternoon exploring the historic centre.