Museum of Criminal Anthropology “Cesare Lombroso” in Turin

In Turin, inside the Palazzo degli Istituti Anatomici on Via Pietro Giuria 15, lies a place of great historical and scientific interest — and one that continues to spark debate: the Museum of Criminal Anthropology “Cesare Lombroso.” Founded by the renowned physician and anthropologist from Verona, the museum houses the collections that formed the basis of Lombroso’s controversial theories on deviance and the so-called “born criminal.”

The birth of scientific criminology

The museum was established by Cesare Lombroso in 1876, gathering the vast materials he had been collecting since 1859. This collection served as the foundation for his most famous theory: criminal atavism. According to Lombroso, criminals were not such by moral choice, but due to a biological predisposition, a congenital regression to a primitive evolutionary stage.

The idea came to Lombroso in 1871, during the autopsy of the Calabrian brigand Giuseppe Villella, when he observed an anomaly in the skull — a small cavity he interpreted as evidence of atavism. For Lombroso, this “mark” became proof of a defective biological nature in criminals.

The collections: traces of a deterministic mindset

Reopened to the public in 2009 with a modern layout, the museum displays around 2,000 artifacts illustrating the development of Lombroso’s thought. Among the most significant exhibits are:

• Anatomical specimens and skulls: this section documents the theory of atavism, featuring a selection of skulls and skeletons — including Lombroso’s own skeleton.
• Photographs and portraits: an extensive gallery of faces that Lombroso believed displayed the somatic traits of deviance (prominent jaws, flat noses, protruding cheekbones, etc.).
• Crime-related objects and prison artifacts: items belonging to or made by prisoners and asylum inmates, such as drawings, ceramics, tattoos, and clothing — providing a rare glimpse into the creativity and inner lives of the confined and mentally ill.
• Death masks: plaster casts of the faces of criminals and the insane, used for physiognomic studies.

A museum of science and society

Today, the museum is presented as a museum of the history of science and society, rather than a mere exhibition of Lombroso’s ideas. Managed by the University of Turin, it aims to contextualize his work within the intellectual climate of 19th-century positivism, while offering a critical re-evaluation of his now scientifically discredited theories.

Despite this historical framing, the museum remains a focal point of controversy, particularly among Southern Italian movements, which criticize Lombroso’s role in promoting stereotypes that justified the repression of brigandage and the supposed inferiority of southern populations.

Visitor Information

• Address: Via Pietro Giuria, 15 – Turin (inside the Palazzo degli Istituti Anatomici)
• Opening Hours: generally open Monday to Saturday, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM (visitors should confirm updated hours on the official University of Turin website)
• Tickets: a combined ticket is available that also includes admission to the nearby Museum of Human Anatomy and the Museum of Fruit

The Lombroso Museum offers a unique and thought-provoking experience, allowing visitors to explore the origins of modern criminology while reflecting on the complex relationship between science, prejudice, and power.

Cover photo credits: Museum of Criminal Anthropology Cesare Lombroso, Google Maps