The Maria Adriana Prolo Foundation

The National Museum of Cinema is a non-profit organisation which became a Foundation in 1992, in order to promote study, research and documenting activities in the field of cinema, photography and image.
The founders, supporting members, the stakeholders who participated to the Foundation’s deeds of incorporation, and those who, subsequently, have contributed decisively to establishing the Foundation's assets. The Museum, which operates according to the rules of private law, has the City of Turin, Piedmont Region, the Compagnia di San Paolo, the Fondazione CRT, the Associazione Museo Nazionale del Cinema and GTT among its founding members.

 

Director
Carlo Chatrian

Managing committee
Enzo Ghigo (President), Gabriele Molinari (Vice President), Elisa Giordano, Alessandro Bollo, Paolo Del Brocco.

Auditors
Luca Piovano (President), Fabio Coviello, Margherita Spaini.

Founding members
​Piedmont Region, City of Turin, Compagnia di  San Paolo, Fondazione CRT, Associazione Museo Nazionale del Cinema, GTT

 

 

Timeline

1941
Maria Adriana Prolo starts her collection.

1953
The Museum becomes a member of the International Federation of Film Archives (F.I.A.F.).

1958
The Museum, housed in the Palazzo Chiablese, opens to the public.

1960
Inauguration of the Museum’s library, named after the journalist Mario Gromo, founding member and president of the museum.

1965
The Museum is officially recognised by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Internal Affairs as the National Cinema Museum.

1985
The Museum is closed for safety reasons.

1986
The Museum’s library reopens in the historic complex San Pietro in Vincoli.

1989
Inauguration of the Cinema Massimo, the museum’s multiplex cinema.

1991
Death of Maria Adriana Prolo on 20 February.

1992
Founding of the Fondazione M. A. Prolo - Museo Nazionale del Cinema, with the support of the Piedmont Region, the City of Turin, the Province of Turin, the Cassa di Risparmio di Torino and the Associazione del Museo Nazionale del Cinema.

2000
On 20 July, the National Museum of Cinema reopens at its new location in the Mole Antonelliana.

2001
Inauguration of the Poster Gallery; remodelling of the Cinema Massimo multiplex.

2003
Remodelling of the Museum’s lobby: cafeteria, bookshop and ticket office.

2004
The area devoted to Cinema and Television opens to the public (it will close in 2013, making way for more exhibition space earmarked for temporary exhibitions).

2006
The Museum is partially rearranged on the occasion of the XX Olympic Winter Games held in Turin in 2006.

2007
Inauguration of the tactile exhibit La Mole Antonelliana in the Museum’s lobby.
An exhibition area is devoted to Marco Ferreri.
The Cinema Massimo converts to digital.

2008
Inauguration of the new Library/Mediatheque Mario Gromo in Via Matilde Serao.

2009
The level devoted to the Archaeology of Cinema hosts a new exhibition area called Optics and the Secrets of Vision.

2010
Installation of the Stark Interactive Wall (an interactive digital exhibit) in the Poster Gallery. On the level hosting The Cinema Machine, an interactive special effects area opens.

2011
Restoration of the Mole Antonelliana dome.

2012
The Production area is remodelled and dedicated to Goffredo Lombardo and Titanus.
A Jukebox is placed in the Museum lobby, offering visitors over 3,000 film soundtracks digitised by the Museum.

2013
Inauguration of the 3D chapel (replacing the Big Bang chapel) as well as the new educational area, the Paideia Hall.
The Costumes area is rearranged and dedicated to the film Gangs of New York. The new visitor’s itinerary The Ascent to the Dome is inaugurated and the project for New Technologies is presented.

2014
The new arrangement of the level devoted to the Archaeology of Cinema is presented to the public. Remodelling of the cafeteria, with several devices from the technology collection on display.

2015
A new display case is dedicated to Mario Celso, winner of the Scientific and Engineering Award for his invention of the electro-mechanical rectifier.

2020
A renewed set-up showing CineVR, a new area dedicated to virtual reality, replacing the two areas dedicated to “3D” and “Amore&Morte”, two “chapelles” surrounding the Temple Hall.

2021
The welcome plan of the Museum is renewed with a new exhibition space hosting temporary exhibitions and a large LED wall with a video installation dedicated to Alessandro Antonelli and Maria Adriana Prolo, the museum's founder. 

2024
Inauguration of Video Game Zone, a permanent area,  in the Temple Hall, dedicated to video games.