The president of the Turin Egyptian Museum Foundation, Alain Elkann, has announced renovations to the museum, the second most important Egyptian collection in the world after the national museum in Cairo.

Dante Ferretti, candidate for this years Oscar for the best sets in the film Aviator, is to head the restoration.

Elkann, a writer and father of the young vice president of the Fiat group, John Elkann, went on to say that two design companies, Giugiaro and Pininfarina, both better known as car designers, will be responsible for the layout of an area of the museum to be called The city in ancient Egypt. Paolo Pejrone, one of the most famous Italian garden architects, will provide a botanical section.

A scientific committee for the museum has been named, headed by Edda Bresciani, lecturer in Egyptology at Pisa University. A programme of events has been prepared which will include an exhibition on everyday life in ancient Egypt and one on the papyrus script of Artemidoro, which has recently been donated to the museum.

Four rooms are currently being renovated but the rest of the museum is open every day except for Mondays. For information tel. 011561776 or visit www.museoegizio.org.