If Italy is the Capital of Awesome (which, frankly, you’d have a hard time convincing me it’s not), then the official Museum of Awesome is the National Cinema Museum in Turin.

Holy cow, that place is kick-ass.

First, there’s all the museum-appropriate learning stuff. The first attempts at moving pictures, scientific crap to look at and touch and explore. I do love scientific crap. And then! Then there are the movie rooms. In a gigantic, gorgeously ornate hall (the museum was originally designed as a synagogue) there are plush lounge chairs and large screens playing movie clips. When I was there, it was famous dance scenese from movies around the world. Surrounding that great domed room are smaller, themed salas. Like my favorite - a giant round, red velvet covered bed, piled high with decorative pillows, upon which you flop gracelessly, to watch famous love scenes playing on a screen… on the ceiling. So wickedly awesome.

Italy is full of wonderful museums and unspeakably beautiful works of art. But if you happen by Turin and don’t go to the National Cinema Museum, that would be a crying shame and a disservice to your museum education.

Saturday, November 3, 2007 | don't miss!