Museo civico Pier Alessandro Garda
Civic museum of Ivrea in the former monastery of Santa Chiara, with archaeological, oriental, art collections from the Middle Ages to the contemporary, and numismatic collections.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Museo civico Pier Alessandro Garda is housed in the former monastery of Santa Chiara, in Piazza Ottinetti in Ivrea. The monastery was founded in 1303 by Bishop Alberto Gonzaga, of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual; the convent and church were completed in 1310 near the Porta di Bando. A new church, begun in 1675, was finished in 1684.
After the Napoleonic suppression of the religious orders, in 1805 the building passed to the royal domain, and in 1810 it was handed to the city, which converted it into a cavalry barracks. In 1842 the 17th-century church was demolished to create the arcaded square, the site of the grain market until 1930. Between 1859 and 1884 the complex was a military school and then an infantry barracks, named in 1904 after Ettore Perrone, until in 1967 the military property office returned it to the city.
The museum route includes the Collezione Guelpa-Croff, the archaeological collection, the oriental collection, the sections devoted to the Middle Ages and the Renaissance and to the period from the 17th century to the present, the “Paesaggi di carta” (Paper Landscapes) and the numismatic collection. The museum also offers exhibitions, educational activities and initiatives for families, and is accredited as a museum for families and children.
Highlights
- Collezione Guelpa-Croff
- Archaeological collection, with some finds from the Roman amphitheatre of Ivrea
- Oriental collection
- Works from the Middle Ages to the contemporary
- Numismatic collection
- Housed in the former monastery of Santa Chiara
- Founded
- 2014
- Operated by
- Comune di Ivrea
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €8 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €6Over-65s, university students up to age 25, groups of at least 20 people with booking, holders of the Castello di Ivrea ticket or of partner museums (Museo Laboratorio Tecnologic@mente, Archivio Storico Olivetti), TCI and FAI members. |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Free admission for under-18s and for students up to the final year of secondary school. |
| Seniors | €6Over-65s |
| Visitors with disabilities | –companion free · Free admission for visitors with disabilities and one family member or companion. |
| Students & apprentices | €6University students up to age 25 |
| Groups (20+ people) | €6 per personWith booking; one group leader free. |
| 1 hour 30 minute guided tour in Italian (up to 25 people) | €80 |
| 1 hour 30 minute guided tour in English or French (up to 25 people) | €100 |
| Short 45-minute guided tour in Italian (up to 25 people) | €50 |
| Short 45-minute guided tour in English or French (up to 25 people) | €60 |
Free admission also for school classes with booking (two accompanying teachers free), tour guides, registered journalists, museum directors and curators, Ministry of Culture staff, and for parents or two adults accompanying a child in its first year of life, with the Passaporto Culturale. With the Abbonamento Musei or the Torino+Piemonte Card / Pyou Card, one free ticket for each cardholder.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
The museum is accredited as a “museum tailored to families and children” and offers family concessions, activities and dedicated materials.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided tours and school visits require booking (tel. +39 0125 410 512, musei@comune.ivrea.to.it). The museum offers an educational catalogue for the 2026–2027 school year. |
