Italy on Tuesday announced the number of free entrance days at its museums will increase next year from 12 to 20, while museums will introduce €2 tickets for 18 to 25 year olds.
“It will go up to 20 free days, which will be distributed differently than in the past,” culture minister Alberto Bonisoli said.
“For example the week that ends on March 10 in all state museums will be free, from Tuesday to Sunday.”
The announcement comes after Bonisoli announced his plans to abolish previous culture minister Dario Franceschini’s scheme, which provides free admissions to state museums on the first Sunday of every month.
Bonisoli said in July that he’d eradicate the scheme, as it creates long queues and overcrowding at Italy’s most popular museums.
While some dates will be decided at a national level, others will be determined locally by museum directors, to better account for regional differences and seasonal fluctuations in visitor numbers.
“If a museum has too many visitors arriving on free Sundays, like the Colosseum, it will be able to have free entrance perhaps in a weekday afternoon slot, to better manage the crowds,” Bonisoli explained.
As for plans to introduce a €2 entry fee to 18 to 25 year olds, Bonisoli said:
“We want to encourage and create the habit of going to the museum in young people that don’t have great economic means, because seeing a part of our great cultural heritage can help them grow.”
EU citizens under the age of 18 and humanities students already receive free entry to Italy’s museums.
