Pietro Micca Museum, Turin
The Pietro Micca Museum (Museo Pietro Micca) in Turin is dedicated entirely to the siege of the city by French troops in the early 18th century. In addition to interesting exhibits of the time most of which related to military affairs, the museum offers something interesting. Here you can visit the system of old underground tunnels that were used for the city defense. This is a must-see for all underground museum fans.
History of museum
In the early 18th century, the “War of the Spanish Succession” broke out. Savoy that supported the Austrian Habsburg dynasty was defeated, and in 1705 was surrounded. The last stronghold was the fortress of Turin. After waiting for reinforcements, in May 1706 a huge French army laid siege to the city. The fighting continued all summer, the defenders fought to the death. In early September, allied troops approached the city and caused devastating damage to the attackers. This victory was an inflection point in the war.
The artilleryman Pietro Micca played a significant role in the siege – he destroyed the tunnel under the fortress thus blocking the way for the enemy soldiers. Today not only the museum carries his name – Pietro also has a monument dedicated to his persona.
After World War II, the restoration of the city had begun. During the construction of some buildings, General Guido Amoretti discovered underground tunnels. They began to restore them as well and stumbled upon a whole system of passages near the Citadel of Turin which was used during the siege of the city. In 1958, the general discovered the very tunnel that was brought down by Pietro Micca. A series of restoration works followed. And on the 100th anniversary of the unification of Italy, a museum was built dedicated to those events. The building was opened in 1961 right where the French artillery battery was located during the siege.
Exhibition and services
The actual building of the museum does not particularly stand out among the surrounding buildings. It has 2 floors: the first one is above ground, the second one – underground. Here you can learn in detail about the history of Turin of the early 18th century, as well as the events related to the siege. A good audio-visual tour helps with that; not only does it introduce you to the history, it also features a virtual model of Piedmont. Exhibits from the 18th century are on display in the underground halls: weapons, maps, books, uniforms and much more. Once you’re done with them, the real fun begins. The museum is directly connected to the system of underground tunnels and galleries of the Citadel, as well as the Turin subway.
And if in the halls of the museum it is still somehow possible to see the exhibits on your own, then you should not go into dungeons without a guide. It will not be very informative, besides, you can easily get lost. The tunnels are divided into large central (axial) and side branches which are much lower and narrower. This network is designed in such a way as to allow to move not only under the fortress, but also to control the territory around it making small trips once in a while. Many passages ended with mines which were blown up if needed. The tunnels’ depth is between 7 and 14 meters, some of them are up to 300 meters long.
Visiting the restored tunnel which was blown up by Pietro Micca is a must. It was a staircase near the door that separated the central tunnel from the side tunnel. After the recent excavations, a sword hilt and a grenade which belonged to the national hero were discovered. They are now exhibited in the halls of the museum.
How to get
The Pietro Micca Museum is located in the administrative center of the city, on Via Guicciardini, 7a. Nearby, 10 minutes away there is a prison museum called “La Nuova” and the mysterious Piazza Statuto. Torino Porta Susa, a railway station, can be found just at the museum. You can get here by subway, tram 10, 13, and bus routes 10N, 13N, 46, 49, 56, 72, 91, 1085, N10. Get off at stop M – XVIII Dicembre.
Opening hours: from 10:00 to 18:00. Closed on Monday, as well as holidays. The ticket office closes at 17:00. Contact number: (+39) 011 546317.
Admission: 3 euros.
The information about admission and opening hours may be changed.
