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TOURISM

For one day only: €1 nighttime entry to Italy’s cultural sites

To mark the European Heritage Days on September 24th and 25th, Italy is opening the doors to many of its usually-closed sites, and some of its most famous are opening on Saturday evening, with a special €1 entry rate.

For one day only: €1 nighttime entry to Italy's cultural sites
Fancy getting up close and personal with David after dark? Photo

There are more than 50,000 events taking place across Europe, but Italy is surely the best place to enjoy the cultural weekend, with more Unesco World Heritage sites than any other country, plus plenty of undiscovered gems.

Over 380,000 people took part in the event last year, which was created to promote cultural dialogue between the European nations.

Some sites which are usually closed will open their doors to the public for a rare glimpse, while others will be putting on special events for the occasion. Many of the most famous hotspots are staying open late, with a mere €1 fee for a nighttime visit.

In Campania, both the ruined cities of Pompeii and its lesser-known but equally impressive cousin Herculaneum are participating in the scheme, along with Naples' archeological museum which houses many of the items found in the ruins.

In Lazio, culture vultures will be spoilt for choice between the Villa Adriana and Villa d'Este in Tivoli, the Etruscan Museum and Castel Sant'Angelo among others.

In Tuscany, the Uffizi art gallery and home of Michelangelo's David, Galleria dell'Accademia, are both open until 11, as well as the Carthusian monastery of Calci in the province of Pisa and the Pinocchio-themepark in the village of Collodi.

For a full list of museums and sites participating in the Heritage weekend, check the Ministry of Cultural Heritage's website.

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VENICE

What are the new rules for tourist groups visiting Venice?

The famed Italian city of Venice will restrict tour group sizes from summer 2024 in an effort to regulate crowds of tourists that throng the streets.

What are the new rules for tourist groups visiting Venice?

The Italian city of Venice announced on Saturday new regulations on the size of tourist groups to reduce the number of huge crowds and improve the lives of locals. 

The measure will come into effect from June. The use of loudspeakers will also be banned as they “create confusion” the city said in a statement.

Elizabeth Pesce, the city’s security councillor said: “This is an important measure to improve the management of organized groups and promote sustainable tourism.”

The rule is an amendment to the police and urban security regulation dedicated to ‘regulating the methods of conducting visits for accompanied groups, with particular attention to the needs to protect residents and promoting pedestrian mobility’.

Simone Venturini, tourism councillor for the city added: “The measure is part of a broader framework of interventions aimed at ensuring a greater balance between the needs of those who live in the city and those who come to visit it.”

He concluded the introduction of the new rule on June 1st will give operators enough time to organise themselves.

The regulation was announced just five weeks after the city said it would introduce a fee of €5 for day trippers starting from April 25th to May 5th this year. The fee will also apply for the rest of the weekends in May and June as well as the first two weeks of July. Tickets will be sold via an online platform that’s expected to be up later this month. 

Both the moves come after UNESCO warned it could list the city as an at-risk heritage site, partly due to the risk of over-tourism.

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