From residency for the Savoy nobility in the Baroque period to a textile factory at the end of the 19th century and a witness to the "Anni di Piombo" (or Years of Lead) at the end of the last century, Palazzo Mazzonis has opened its doors to the MAO’s collections in 2008, experiencing great changes that have involved the city and its territory.
Retracing the history of this building means rooting its identity more firmly into the life of the city.
For at least three centuries the Palace was the residence of two of the most influential aristocratic families in Piedmont: the Solaro della Chiusa and the Solaro della Margarita, a family of the astigian nobility that, thanks to its profitable mercantile business, had entered the administration of the Savoy state.
The building, located in the heart of the ancient and medieval city of Turin, is attested since 1587 and its fortunes are closely related to the history of its owners, which is partly retraceable thanks to the stucco decorations still visible in the reception hall on the main floor of the building. The Marquess Francesco Amedeo Ludovico in 1723 renovated the palace to give it an appearance suited to his status, thus transforming it for good into a representative residence. Another fundamental change happened in 1879 when the Solaro della Magarita family sold the palace to Paolo Mazzonis, textile industrialist who gave the palace its name. The building maintained its function as headquarters for Mazzonis’ textile manifacture for a century. In 1910 the building was declared a valuable monument of art and history by will of the Ministry of Education.
In the 1960s the Manifattura Mazzonis closed its business and the Palace remained unused until 1980 when the family sold it to the City of Turin. Following a restoration that lasted from 1980 to 1985, the Palace was repurposed to house the Judicial Offices and, during the Years of Lead, the major trials for terrorism and armed struggle took place here.
Between 2004 and 2008 Palazzo Mazzonis underwent its final, major transformation: in December 2008 it reopened its doors, this time to house for the first time the collections of MAO – Museum of Oriental Art.
The 2008 installation was developed based on a project by Andrea Bruno, architect and Unesco expert for restoration and conservation of artistic and cultural heritage, with the advice of museum Director, Professor Franco Ricca. The restoration of the building was drawn up by the Buildings for Culture sector of the City of Turin, based on guidelines by architects Durbiano, Isola and Reinerio commissioned by Compagnia San Paolo. The new spaces were designed around pre-existing groups of works and lead to the distribution of the collections into 5 different galleries, corresponding to specific cultural areas.
The main courtyard is occupied by a suggestive glass structure that houses two Japanese gardens, a space of transition between the West and the East and an ideal space for the organization of small events, conferences, meetings with the public and artistic performances.
A major re-installation project in the spring of 2015 led to the creation of a large area for larger temporary exhibitions, whilst in 2023 the museum opened its terrace to the public, a space used to host various types of events.
The collections boast almost 2,300 works ranging from the Neolithic period to the beginning of the 20th century, plus more than 1,400 archaeological finds dating to pre-Islamic times from the Iraqi digs at Seleucia and Coche.
The permanent installation is divided into five galleries, each devoted to a corresponding cultural area: Eastern Asia, South Asia and Southest Asia, with works from the Indian subcontinent, from Indochina and China, the cradle of a long and rich artistic civilization; the Central-southern Asia and the Himalayan Region, an important area of influence between Indian and Chinese cultures; Eastern Asia and Japan, where the encounter between Asian and European cultures has produced unique artistic expressions; Central-eastern Asia, the Arabic Peninsula and the Mediterranean, witnesses of an extraordinary artistic flourishing.
