Photo: iStock/Sean Pavone
The project is being implemented by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with municipal authorities, according to Finestresull’Arte. The authorities intend to assess the extent to which extended operating hours will help reduce the strain on cultural sites during peak hours and improve access to museums and monuments for both tourists and local residents.
The Colosseum will be open to visitors on Fridays and Saturdays from 7:45 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. The Pantheon will switch to evening hours daily from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., except on Thursdays. In Milan, Sforzesco Castle will extend its hours by two hours—until 7:30 p.m. instead of the usual 5:30 p.m.
Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli noted that the extended evening hours will allow visitors to experience world-famous monuments in a special atmosphere while also broadening access to cultural heritage. According to Tourism Minister Gianmarco Mazzi, the initiative resulted from consultations with representatives of the tourism industry and responds to the growing demand for evening visits to museums and historical sites.
The pilot program also has an economic goal. According to the Ministry of Tourism, cultural tourism is currently the main reason foreign visitors travel to Italy and contributes approximately 58 billion euros to the national economy each year.
In Milan, the pilot program includes the Sforzesco Castle, which was visited by about 500,000 people last year. During evening hours, visitors will have access to the exhibitions at the Museum of Ancient Art, Michelangelo’s “Pietà Rondanini,” and a temporary exhibition of graphic art featuring works ranging from Leonardo da Vinci to Keith Haring.
The results of the August trial will form the basis for a decision on whether to extend evening hours to other museums and monuments across the country. If the results are successful, the authorities may extend this practice to other tourist sites in Italy, with the aim of improving visitor services and distributing tourist traffic more evenly during the high season.
