Museo del Carcere Le Nuove

About the museum

The Le Nuove prison was built between 1854 and 1869 to a design by the architect Giuseppe Polani and opened in 1870. It was conceived as a prison of individual segregation, with 648 cells spread over thirteen wings and “bocca di lupo” (baffled) windows that allowed only a view of the sky. Under fascism and the German occupation it held political opponents, partisans and Jews; the so-called German wing, run by the SS, was the scene of interrogations and torture. The prison remained in use until 1986, when it was replaced by the Casa circondariale Lorusso e Cutugno in the Vallette district.

Today the building houses some judicial offices and the museum, curated by the association Nessun uomo è un’isola ETS, which aims to recover the historical value of the former prison, to make it a place of reflection open to all, and to collect the testimonies of those who suffered the violence of the penal system and of survivors of deportation.

The historical and museum route leads into the cells and retraces criminal cases, the history of the prison guards (Agenti di Custodia), the First World War, the Biennio rosso (the Red Years), the anti-fascist struggles, racial persecution, the Resistance in the Primo braccio tedesco, the revolts, the last execution carried out in Italy and terrorism. Visits are also offered to the air-raid shelter, a bunker dug eighteen metres deep, and to the route “Sacro e profano”, which crosses the central wing with the chapel and the cubicles.

Key themes

• Cells and the Primo braccio tedesco of the Resistance
• Route on the last execution in Italy
• Air-raid shelter dug 18 metres deep
• “Sacro e profano” route between the central chapel and the director’s passages
• Visits always guided, run by the association Nessun uomo è un’isola

Permanent exhibitions

• Percorso storico-museale – Guided visit to the cells and the Primo braccio tedesco, with the stories of the Resistance, racial persecution and the last execution in Italy.
• Ricovero antiaereo – Bunker built eighteen metres deep inside the prison, linked to the testimonies of political prisoners.
• Sacro e profano – Route through the central wing, from the chapel with its cubicles to the director’s hidden passages.

Operated by

Associazione Nessun uomo è un'isola ETS

Visitors per year

approx. 16,450

Admission & discounts

Prices apply to each route (museum, air-raid shelter, “Sacro e profano”). Free admission for holders of the Abbonamento Musei Torino Piemonte and for PolPen officers. If a booking is not cancelled in time, groups are charged a penalty of €50.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Access to the air-raid shelter is not permitted for people with mobility problems, cardiovascular conditions or claustrophobia; the “Sacro e profano” route has narrow passages and many stairs and is not recommended for people with mobility difficulties. Guide dogs are admitted for blind visitors.

Kids & families

Only partly suitable for kids

The theme of the former prison and the Resistance is especially suitable for school and adult audiences.

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.

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