Savings Museum (Museo del Risparmio)
The Museo del Risparmio (Savings Museum) in Turin is an interactive museum dedicated to the history, culture, and practice of saving money and managing personal finance. Founded by the Fondazione CRT and housed near the Piazza Castello, it uses immersive storytelling and digital installations to make economic history and financial literacy accessible to visitors of all ages.
At a glance
- Type
- Interactive museum of financial history and economic culture
- Period
- Museum opened 2012; building 19th–20th century
- Style
- Contemporary interactive installation within a historic building
- Location
- Via San Francesco d’Assisi 8, 10122 Turin, Piedmont, Italy
- Coordinates
- 45.0719° N, 7.6781° E
Overview
The Museo del Risparmio occupies the headquarters of the Cassa di Risparmio di Torino, one of the oldest savings banks in Italy, founded in 1827. It translates the abstract world of economics into a tangible cultural narrative, tracing how the concept of saving has shaped Italian society from the post-unification period to the present. The museum is part of Turin’s broader landscape of innovative themed institutions and attracts school groups, families, and adult visitors interested in social and economic history.
History
The Cassa di Risparmio di Torino was established in 1827 as one of the first savings banks in the Kingdom of Sardinia, reflecting the reformist economic policies of the House of Savoy. Over the following two centuries it grew into a cornerstone of Piedmontese financial and social life, funding hospitals, schools, and public works. Following Italian banking reform in the 1990s, the banking activities were separated from the philanthropic foundation (Fondazione CRT), which created the museum in 2012 to celebrate and disseminate the institution’s heritage. The Fondazione CRT continues as one of Italy’s major grant-making bodies in culture and social welfare.
What you see
Galleries trace the history of money and saving from barter economies to digital payments, with original coins, banknotes, passbooks, and archival documents from nearly two centuries of the Cassa di Risparmio. Interactive terminals let visitors test their financial knowledge and explore simulated economic decisions. A dedicated children’s section uses games and storytelling to introduce young visitors to the concept of saving. Temporary exhibitions complement the permanent collection with contemporary perspectives on the economy and social welfare.
Cultural significance
The museum places saving not merely as a financial act but as a social and ethical practice embedded in Italian civic culture. It positions Turin as a European centre for reflection on economic history at a time when financial literacy has become a key component of citizenship education. The institution is part of a wider family of savings bank museums supported by the ABI Foundation network across Italy.
Practical information
- Address
- Via San Francesco d’Assisi 8, 10122 Turin, Italy
- Opening hours
- Tuesday–Friday 10:00–18:00; Saturday 10:00–19:00; closed Monday and Sunday (check official website for current schedule and special openings).
- Admission
- Paid; reduced rates for children, students, and groups; some free entry days during museum week initiatives.
- Website
- museodelrisparmio.it
Getting there
The museum is a 10-minute walk from Turin Porta Nuova railway station. Tram lines 4 and 15 stop on via Pietro Micca. Metro line 1, station Porta Nuova, then walk north along via Roma toward Piazza Castello. Paid parking is available on via della Consolata and in the Piazza Castello underground car park.