On the occasion of archive 26, the National Museum of Risorgimento Italian participates in The Night of the Archives with a project dedicated to Olimpia Savio's Album, an extraordinary testimony to the cultural and social life of 19th-century Italy. The journey begins with the volume's recent restoration and unfolds through an immersive exhibition and a discussion open to the public.
Olimpia Savio's Album is much more than a collection of documents. Through letters, autographs, sonnets, drawings, and personal memoirs, relationships, encounters, and cultural networks spanning the 19th century emerge. Its pages combine famous signatures with more intimate fragments, painting a portrait of a cultured woman, a key figure in the intellectual life of her time.
Discover the restoration of Olimpia Savio's album here
For the occasion, the Museum has created an immersive exhibition inspired by Olimpia Savio's salon. Not a historical reconstruction, but a space for reflection that recalls the role these places played in shaping society and public opinion of the time. Olimpia's salon was, in fact, one of the most significant meeting places in Turin during the Risorgimento: a space where liberal aristocrats, bourgeoisie, patriots, and exiles would meet, intertwining conversation, culture, and politics.
The exhibition will be open to visitors from June 4th to 7th during Archivissima, with a museum admission ticket and during the usual opening hours.
The project will culminate with the public meeting “Voices and Silences in Olimpia Savio's Album,” scheduled for Friday, June 5th at 6:00 PM in the Museum's Sala Plebisciti. Through a dialogue between historical studies, archival studies, and dissemination, the meeting will offer an opportunity to delve deeper into Olimpia Savio and reflect on the role of archives in bringing to light stories, experiences, and protagonists who have not always found their way into the official narrative.
⚠️ Due to limited seating, advance booking is recommended.
“VOICES AND SILENCES IN OLIMPIA SAVIO'S ALBUM”
5 June 2026
H. 18.00
Free entry while seats last.
Vanessa Roghi, a historian and author of programs for RAI, has written and directed documentaries and podcasts on historical subjects. Among these are The Revolution on the Radio: Feminist Microphones from the Seventies (Raiplaysound).
Luisa Papotti, president of the National Museum of Risorgimento Italian.
Daniela Orta, head of the archive of the National Museum of Risorgimento Italian.
