Museo del Paesaggio Sonoro
Civic museum in Palazzo Grosso (Riva presso Chieri) with the collection of folk instruments and sound toys of Domenico Torta; closed for works in 2026.
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About the museum
The Museo Civico del Paesaggio Sonoro was established by the municipality of Riva presso Chieri to promote the research of Domenico Torta and of several scholars on the sounds, noises and melodies that characterised the local landscape, from rural culture to the present day. The museum project was developed with the contribution of the Università degli Studi di Torino.
The collection comprises over five hundred instruments and around a thousand objects, including folk musical instruments, sound toys and bells, arranged in themed rooms: the Sala 900 with local photographic memories, sound and environment, sound and community with the tradition of the bells, sound and play, the musicians and the “sunadur”, and the room dedicated to the transition to the new century.
The museum is housed in Palazzo Grosso, the castle of Riva, given in 1619 by Duke Charles Emmanuel I of Savoy to Margherita de Roussillon, later passed to the Counts Grosso di Brozolo and rebuilt in 1738 to designs by Bernardo Antonio Vittone. The rooms of the piano nobile (main floor) were decorated by the Torricelli brothers for Countess Faustina Grosso Mazzetti di Montalero, with trompe-l'œil cycles.
Highlights
- Domenico Torta's collection of over 500 instruments and sound toys
- Sala delle campane e dei carri processionali (room of bells and processional carts)
- Frescoed rooms of Palazzo Grosso, rebuilt by Bernardo Antonio Vittone
- Decorations by the Torricelli brothers: salone delle feste (party hall), sala etrusca (Etruscan room) and sala cinese (Chinese room)
Permanent exhibition
- Collezione Domenico Torta – Folk musical instruments, sound toys and bells in themed rooms within the frescoed rooms of Palazzo Grosso.
- Operated by
- Comune di Riva presso Chieri
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €8 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €6Ages 4–18, over-65s, holders of the Torino/Piemonte Card |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 3 · Free admission for children up to three years old. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Free admission for people with disabilities and their companion. |
| Groups | €4 per personReduced ticket for groups. |
| Reduced ticket for schools | €3 |
| Guided tour of the museum for school groups (per group, plus reduced ticket) | €60 |
| Guided tour of the museum and Palazzo Grosso for school groups (per group, plus reduced ticket) | €80 |
| Guided tour of the museum for groups (per group, plus reduced ticket) | €75 |
| Guided tour of the museum and Palazzo Grosso for groups (per group, plus reduced ticket) | €110 |
Prices refer to the combined ticket for the museum and Palazzo Grosso. Free admission with the Abbonamento Musei and Abbonamento Musei Junior passes. Guided tours in foreign languages on request.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 3 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Hands-on stations
- Kids’ birthday parties
The museum offers family routes, workshops and sound-themed birthday parties.
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 are available (in foreign languages on request), educational routes and workshops on building sound toys. The historic rooms of Palazzo Grosso are included in the ticket. |
