On Thursday 25 April, on the occasion of Liberation Day, the museums and regional archaeological parks will be open free of charge as proposed by the Ministry of Culture. An initiative that aims to make the artistic and archaeological heritage accessible to all Sicilian citizens, as well as an opportunity to keep alive the memory of highly symbolic facts and events for the whole country.
Free entry also on 2 June and 4 November on the occasion of Italian Republic Day and National Unity and Armed Forces Day respectively. The visits will take place during the usual opening hours, which can be consulted on the websites, with access by reservation where applicable.
The boom at Easter and Easter Monday
Boom in visitors during the Easter weekend for the cultural sites of Sicily, which continue to attract visitors from all over the world. From majestic Greek temples to fascinating Roman remains, from museums full of treasures to archaeological parks, the island has offered an unforgettable journey through centuries of history and culture.
Schifani’s words
“The unparalleled cultural and monumental richness – underlines the President of the Region, Renato Schifani – is confirmed for Sicily as one of the main attractive elements of tourist flows, like the natural heritage. It is a deposit of beauty, of inexhaustible history in which my government continues to invest to further grow one of the most important voices of our economy. The appreciation of visitors proves this incontrovertibly. For this reason we are working towards the enhancement and promotion of sites such as in the case of Telamone in the Valley of the Temples and for strengthened protection as in the case of the Roman Villa del Casale in Piazza Armerina, where I am working personally to resolve some critical issues ”.
“Sicily confirms itself as a first-rate cultural destination – states the councilor for cultural heritage, Francesco Paolo Scarpinato – With the start of the spring season we expect this positive trend to continue and that more and more people will be able to discover and appreciate the wonders that our region has to offer.”
Easter weekend
During the Easter weekend (Saturday, Sunday and Easter Monday) high numbers of visitors at the regional sites. At the ancient theater of Taormina and at the museum and archaeological area of Naxos there were almost 8,500 visitors; followed by the Valley of the Temples with the Pietro Griffo Archaeological Museum, which almost sold 6 thousand tickets.
Over 2,500 tourists admired the mosaics of the Roman Villa del Casale in Piazza Armerina, in the Ennese area. The Trapani area did well with the Selinunte archaeological park which recorded 1,277 entries, surpassed by the Segesta park, which is fully recovering after the devastating fire last year, with almost 1,371 people. In the Palermo area, record attendance at the Cathedral of Monreale, with the cloister chosen by 817 visitors. The Zisa castle, under restoration, welcomed 118 tourists, while the Antonino Salinas archaeological museum, where the “Sicily/Greece/Magna Graecia” exhibition is underway, counted 120 and the Gallery of Palazzo Abatellis reached 286 .
The numbers recorded over the Easter weekend confirm an excellent attendance trend in 2024. A trend that already suggests a new overall attendance record for this year, after the historic figure of 2023.
Tags: Free museums archaeological parks Sicily April initiative Region BlogSicilia
