Italy also had its South Kensington Museum

Abstract

The article aims to bring to light a recent discovery with respect to the history of Italian pedagogical museums: 12 years before the official opening of what is recognized as the first. Since 1862, in Turin, a section of the Royal Industrial Museum has been dedicated to the collection of books and teaching materials to the primary and secondary schools. This collection was a direct expression of the London Universal Exhibition of 1861, from which the Royal Commissioners returned with the idea of copying the South Kensington Museum. The article reconstructs the history of the collection and its exposure, following its evolution until its disappearance. The aim of this article is to offer a significant piece of the history of the historical-educational heritage in Italy and its musealization.