Mole Antonelliana

Mole Antonelliana
Map
General information
Town or cityTurin
CountryItaly
Current tenantsMuseo Nazionale del Cinema
Construction started1863
Completed1889; 135 years ago (1889)
Renovated1953
Height
Architectural167.5 metres (550 ft)[1][2]
Design and construction
Architect(s)Alessandro Antonelli

The Mole Antonelliana (pronounced [ˈmɔːle antonelˈljaːna]) is a major landmark building in Turin, Italy, named after its architect, Alessandro Antonelli. A mole in Italian is a building of monumental proportions.

Construction began in 1863, soon after Italian unification, and was completed in 1889, after the architect's death. Originally conceived of as a synagogue, it now houses the National Museum of Cinema, and is believed to be the tallest museum in the world.[3] A representation of the building is featured on the obverse of the Italian 2 euro cent coin. Catalan vaults are featured in the ceiling of the ground floor under the atrium, which are relatively rare in Italy but popular in Spain, where they originated.

  1. ^ "Mole Antonelliana". museocinema.it. Museo Nazionale del Cinema. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  2. ^ "Mole Antonelliana"[usurped]. emporis.com. Emporis Gmbh. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  3. ^ "World's tallest buildings, monuments and other structures". CBS News. Retrieved December 21, 2017.