Experimental Geological Museum of Italian Alpine Club – Giaveno Section

The Experimental Geological Museum holds over 5,600 samples of minerals, rocks and fossils.

The collections are of significant educational and scientific value and offer the visitor a synthetic and accurate key to the core topics in the Earth Sciences.

The Carlo Allioni (1728–1804) historical geological collection, consisting of the remaining items from the former personal museum of the renowned 18th-century Piedmontese naturalist, is of great significance.

The museum is housed in a large hall with showcases and info panels.

A dedicated workshop makes it possible to study micro-minerals and microfossils and to identify lithological samples by using scientific equipment.

The Museum is set up in the headquarters of the Italian Alpine Club, Giaveno Section.

It is close to the Municipal Park, with its centuries-old trees, and the historical centre, its old walls, churches rich in art and historic streets offering picturesque views.

The Museum holds over 5,600 samples, which are constantly increasing as a part of multiple collections:

• mineral collection, systematically arranged in showcases;
• mineral collection concerning the mines of Piedmont and the Aosta Valley, thematically arranged in showcases
• systematic lithological collection, displayed in showcases;
• systematic and thematic palaeontology collection of Piedmont, displayed in showcases;
• thematic palaeoanthropology collection of Italian lithic industries, stored in Allibert-type plastic containers;
• micro-mineral collection, systematically arranged. Each sample is mounted in a single transparent plastic container to be observed with the museum's stereoscopic microscope.
• Historical geological Carlo Allioni Collection (1728–1804), consisting of fossils, minerals, rocks, lithic tablets and shells. With approx. 3,000 samples, it is the oldest geological collection in Piedmont on public display to date. It is furnished with descriptive panels.

The Museum houses the Engineer Luigi Peretti Geological Library, which collects volumes, papers and manuscripts that belonged to the engineer and university professor. 

The collection was donated to the Museum by his sons.

The Museum provides:

• guided tours for the general public;
• educational activities for students at all levels
• educational activities addressed to the different headquarters of the regional UNI3, University of the Third Age;
• prospecting at geologically relevant sites under mineralogical, palaeontological, geomorphological, etc. perspectives;
• participation in a number of national and international congresses.

The Museum cooperates with:

• the Garida talc Mine geotouristic site, High Sangone Valley, as scientific referent;
• the Department of Earth Sciences of the University of Turin;
• the Department of Environmental, Land and Infrastructure Engineering (DIATI) of the Polytechnic University of Turin;
• the Italian Micromineralogical Association, for the identification and research of new mineral species;
• the Museu Nacional of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro;
• the Museu da Geodiversidade of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.