Every first Sunday of the month, Italy opens the doors of its extraordinary artistic and historical richness to the general public, with thefree ticket to museums, archaeological parks and state culture places. The initiative, known as Sunday at the museumis promoted by the Ministry of Culture and has been a fixed appointment for years in the calendar of citizens and tourists.
After the considerable success of the last edition, which saw over 319,000 visitors cross the threshold of museums and archaeological sites, Sunday at the museum the museum returns July 6thwith the opportunity to rediscover, free of charge, the beauty and variety of Italian cultural heritage.
The places not to be missed on July 6 for Sunday at the Museum
The list of participating sites for the day of July 6 is as always very rich and varied, distributed throughout the national territory.
Turin, for example, participates with the royal museums, Palazzo Carignano and Villa della Regina, while a Trieste It is possible to visit the early Christian basilica of via Madonna del Mare and the historical museum and the park of the Miramare Castle, and Genova The National Gallery of Palazzo Spinola and the Royal Palace.
Milan, in turn, offers free admission to the Pinacoteca di Brera and the Cenacle Vinciano, and Venezia You can admire the Marciana National Library – Monumental and reduced rooms of the prosecutors, the Galleries of the Academy, the Museum of Eastern Art, the Archaeological Museum, the Museum of Palazzo Grimani and the Giorgio Franchetti Gallery at the Ca ‘d’Oro.
Florence, the cradle of the Renaissance, offers free access to some of its most precious treasures: from the majestic Uffizi Gallery to the Academy Gallery, passing through the suggestive Boboli garden and the sumptuous Palazzo Pitti, with its historic apartments and Medici chapels. Among the destinations that can also be visited on 6 July, the National Museum of Bargello and the Cenacolo di Sant’Apollonia, custodians of works of art of extraordinary beauty and value.
Again, a Perugia The National Museums of Perugia – National Gallery of Umbria, the National Archaeological Museum of Umbria and the Hypogeum of the Volumni and Necropolis of the Palazzone participate in the initiative, and the Borghese Gallery, the Spada Gallery, the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, Palazzo Barberini and Castel Sant’Angelo, enchant, only to make some examples.
Naples opens the doors of its most representative places for free, from the National Archaeological Museum to the Museum and Real Bosco di Capodimonte, up to the sumptuous Royal Palace. Next to these famous treasures, it will be possible to explore even less known but equally suggestive sites, such as the Crypta Neapolitana and the Diego Aragona Pignatelli Cortes museum, spaces loaded with memory and authentic Neapolitan spirit.
Bari It offers the Swabian Castle and Palazzo Simi – Operations Center for Archeology, Cagliari the National Archaeological Museum, the National Pinacoteca and the Basilica of San Saturnino, e Matera The former San Rocco hospital, the Domenico Ridola Museum and Palazzo Lanfranchi.
Useful information for the visit: reservations, times and practical advice
Participating on Sunday in the museum is an exciting opportunity, but to fully enjoy the experience it is useful to keep in mind some practical indications.
Free access concerns only museums, monuments and state archaeological areas that officially adhere to the initiative. The visits will take place according to the usual opening hours of individual sites, without specific variations related to the event. However, considering the high influx envisaged, it is recommended to inquire in advance on any particular rules adopted by the host structures: in some cases, in fact, limitations to entrances, contingents or the need to book in advance may be provided.
A precious tool to orient themselves between the various options is the official app of the Ministry of Culture, “Italian museums“, Available for free for mobile devices, which allows you to view the updated list of participating places and to consult timetables, methods of access and (when planned) book the entrance tickets.
It is important to keep in mind that, despite being free admission, the overall experience can vary according to the organization of each museum or archaeological site. Some offer guided paths, others limit access to some rooms or expose only part of the collections. Precisely for this reason, it is always useful to visit the official websites of the individual structures.