Lavazza Museum at the Nuvola, Turin

What to expect: a museum to experience, not just look at

The Lavazza Museum is inside the Nuvola, the headquarters the Turin coffee company opened in the Aurora district. It is not just a display of coffee machines: it is a multi-sensory route through the story of a family, a business and the whole coffee supply chain, from the plant to the cup.

At the entrance you are given an interactive cup that activates the installations in the five rooms: projections, sound, period objects and screens to explore at your own pace. The visit ends with a tasting of blends, included in the ticket, which many visitors find the highlight. It is a corporate museum, and you can tell, but it is carefully made and tells a real chapter of the history of Turin and of Italian daily life.

The five rooms

The museum is organised into five themed areas, each with its own angle:

• Casa Lavazza: the beginnings, from the grocery shop Luigi Lavazza opened in central Turin at the end of the 19th century to the growth of the family firm.
• Fabbrica: how coffee is processed, from harvest to roasting and blending.
• Piazza: the ritual of espresso and the place of the bar in everyday Italian life.
• Atelier: communication, with the characters of television advertising, posters and the photographic calendars that made the brand so recognisable.
• Universo: the immersive finale, devoted to coffee’s journey around the world and the countries where it is grown.

Visitors who grew up in Italy will recognise faces and slogans; everyone else will discover why espresso here is a small daily ceremony.

The Nuvola Lavazza and the archaeological area

The Nuvola, designed by architect Cino Zucchi and opened in 2018, turned a disused industrial site into a small neighbourhood open to the city: offices, a public square, a bistro and a restaurant. Its most striking building is La Centrale, a restored former power station that now hosts events and conferences.

Construction work uncovered the remains of an early Christian basilica from the 4th to 5th century, spread over about 1,600 square metres. Part of the excavation can be seen from outside through a large street-level window. To go down into the archaeological area you need a guided visit with archaeologists, which the museum runs by booking and which makes a good complement to the museum itself.

Opening hours, prices and booking

The museum is open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 6pm, with last entry at 5.30pm; it is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and occasional extra closures are listed on the Lavazza website. A full ticket costs €12 and a reduced ticket €10 for under-26s, over-65s and holders of partner schemes; groups of 15 or more pay €10 each with advance booking.

Entry is free with the Torino+Piemonte Card and the Abbonamento Musei Piemonte pass, as well as for young children, disabled visitors with a companion and other categories listed by the museum. Booking is not compulsory but is strongly recommended at weekends and on public holidays. Allow an hour to an hour and a half for the route and the tasting.

Getting to the Nuvola

The museum is at Via Bologna 32, in the Aurora district, just north of the historic centre across the Dora river. It is a lively, multicultural area in the middle of a makeover, a few minutes from the Porta Palazzo market.

• On foot: about 25 to 30 minutes from Piazza Castello, via Porta Palazzo and Borgo Dora, two of the city’s most characterful neighbourhoods.
• Tram and bus: several GTT lines link the centre and Porta Nuova and Porta Susa stations with the Aurora area; check the route and nearest stop in the GTT app.
• Metro: line M1 does not run through this part of the city, so it is not the right choice for reaching the museum.

Tickets, fares and practical tips are in our guide to getting around Turin.

Which ticket to choose

If the Lavazza Museum is your only visit, the official ticket at €12 from the Lavazza website is the simplest option: it includes the tasting and lets you choose your day and time. At weekends it is worth booking ahead.

If you are planning other museums during your trip, the Torino+Piemonte Card includes free entry to the Lavazza Museum. It starts at €29.90 for the 24-hour version, which covers up to three museums; the 48-, 72- and 120-hour versions cost more and allow more visits. It pays off when you combine Lavazza with pricier museums such as the Egyptian Museum or the Automobile Museum. The card does not include GTT public transport.

Nearby: coffee, markets and vermouth

The Lavazza Museum is a good starting point for a day of Turin flavours. In the morning, Porta Palazzo is one of the largest open-air markets in Europe; on Saturdays the Balon flea market fills Borgo Dora, and on the second Sunday of the month the bigger Gran Balon takes over.

In the afternoon, head back towards the centre for a bicerin, the layered drink of coffee, chocolate and cream born in the city’s historic cafés, or visit Choco-Story, the chocolate museum. At aperitivo time, remember that Turin is the birthplace of vermouth, and many bars still serve it neat. For themed guided visits, see our selection of food and wine tours.