MAO, Turin’s Museum of Oriental Art, brings centuries of Asian art together in Palazzo Mazzonis, a restored 17th-century palace in the Quadrilatero Romano. Its galleries span South Asia, the Himalayan regions, China, Japan and the Islamic world, making it a rewarding alternative to the city’s better-known Egyptian and Renaissance collections.
Opened in 2008, the museum brought together works from civic and regional collections, alongside acquisitions and long-term loans. Highlights include Gandharan sculpture that reveals Greek influences on Buddhist imagery, Chinese ceramics and funerary objects, Tibetan and Nepalese thangkas and bronzes, and Japanese lacquerware, sculpture and painted screens.
The museum is manageable in a couple of hours, with calm galleries that invite close looking rather than a hurried circuit. The palace setting adds its own character: frescoed ceilings and a courtyard provide a distinctly Piedmontese backdrop to the collections. Afterwards, explore the surrounding old-town streets or walk towards the Duomo and Piazza Castello.
Check opening days before visiting, as Turin museums often close on Mondays. Some galleries are kept dim to protect delicate works, and displays may change, so a particular object may not be on view. If you’re visiting several museums in the region, check whether an Abbonamento Musei pass would save you money.