Museo del Carcere "Le Nuove", History museum and former prison in Turin, Italy.
Museo del Carcere 'Le Nuove' is a former prison in Turin that now documents Italian penal history through original spaces and artifacts. Visitors walk through actual cells and corridors alongside items used during the roughly 120 years the facility operated.
The building was constructed between 1854 and 1869 and operated as a prison for over a century until closure in 1986. Its operational years encompassed major historical events including anti-fascist resistance and post-war extremist-related incidents.
The exhibits show how prison design reflected different ideas about punishment and human behavior across generations, from strict isolation to later rehabilitation concepts. Visitors experience these changing philosophies through the layout and furnishings they walk through.
The space is best experienced with a guide who explains the layout and historical details as you move through the rooms. Individual visitors can often explore freely during regular hours, while larger groups typically need to book in advance.
The central chapel has an unusual octagonal shape with individual booths where prisoners watched services in complete separation from each other. This architectural feature reveals early prison thinking about punishment combined with religious observance and strict isolation.
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