Italy’s Ministry of Tourism announced that a month-long trial program of special evening openings at cultural heritage sites in Rome and Milan ended on August 31. Highlighting the success of the trial, the ministry noted that more than 56,000 visitors were recorded at the Colosseum and Pantheon over the course of the month exclusively during the evening opening hours. In addition, more than 4,000 people visited the Museum of Ancient Art, Pietà Rondanini and the “Passione Disegno” exhibition at Sforza Castle.
Sends Message on Expanding Access to Cultural Sites
Italian Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli said in a statement on the results of the trial: “This is a significant figure that demonstrates how strong the desire is to experience our cultural heritage. The success of this trial points the way forward: expanding access to cultural sites means bringing them even closer to citizens. From this perspective, cooperation between institutions offers major opportunities for cultural heritage, as it enables different administrations to bring together their expertise, resources and organizational capacities and provide new opportunities for learning and participation. The figures from these special openings demonstrate this.”
Visiting Hours Extended by Four Hours
In an announcement at the beginning of August, Italy’s Ministry of Tourism said visiting hours would be extended by four hours at state-owned monuments in Rome and at municipally owned monuments in Milan, with the program running until the end of August.
