Noted Italian buildings and sites open on 21 and 22 March

Some 780 libraries, palaces, archaeological sites and religious buildings all over Italy are open to the public free of charge on 21 and 22 March, for the 23rd annual spring open day organised by the Fondo Ambiente Italiano (FAI).

Many of the sites participating in the Giornate FAI di Primavera initiative are not normally accessible to the public.

Some of the treats in store this year in Rome include a peek inside the Bank of Italy’s Museum of Money at Palazzo Koch on Via Nazionale 90; the Casa Madre dei Mutilati di Guerra in Piazza Adriana 3; the RAI television studios on Via Asiago 10 in the Monte Mario district; Palazzo Chigi, the residence of Italian premier Matteo Renzi, in Piazza Colonna; and the Palazzo della BNL on Via Veneto 119; all of which have guided tours in English.

RAI offices Via Asiago, Rome

There are also tours in Italian of the Palazzo H, Salone d'Onore and the Palestra Storica at the Foro Italico complex in Piazza Lauro de Bosis in the Flaminio district, and for those interested in taking a spin outside the capital, there are tours in English of Villa Gregoriana in Tivoli.

Villa Gregoriana Tivoli

The complete list of participating buildings and monuments, as well as their visiting times, can be seen on the FAI website, and there is an App available to download too.

Similar to Britain’s National Trust, FAI works to preserve and promote Italy’s cultural heritage through education, restoration and annual open days.