Rome combines sport with culture as Italy's capital hosts two major sporting events this weekend.

Athletes running in the 2025 edition of the Rome Marathon, which takes place this Sunday, will have free entry to the capital's municipal museums from 14 until 19 March.

The offer includes city-run museums such as the Capitoline Museums, the Ara Pacis Museum, Trajan's Markets, Centrale Montemartini and the Villa Torlonia museum complex.

The initiative also includes the new Forma Urbis museum and the archaeological areas of Largo Argentina and the Circus Maximus, however certain temporary exhibitions and the Circo Maximo Experience are excluded.

To gain entry, marathon runners must present their registration form for the event at the museum ticket offfice, along with an identification document.

Six Nations in Rome

There is also free entry to 25 museums in the capital this weekend for rugby fans with tickets for the Six Nations match between Italy and Ireland.

To gain access to the 25 sites, which include both city and state museums, visitors must present their ticket for the Six Nations match which takes place at the Stadio Olimpico on 15 March.

The initiative follows an agreement between Italy's rugby federation, the city of Rome and the Italian culture ministry.

The 10 state-run museums which can be visited by Six Nations ticket-holders for free from Friday 14 to Sunday 16 March are the following:

Galleria Corsini, Galleria Spada, Museo Boncompagni Ludovisi, Museo delle Civiltà, Museo Henrik Christian Andersen, National Museum of Musical Instruments, National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia, Palazzo Barberini, Palazzo Venezia and the Baths of Caracalla.

The following are the 15 municipal museums participating in the Six Nations initiative, on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 March:

Centrale Montemartini, Museum of the Forma Urbis, Circus Maximus Archaeological Area, Trajan's Markets, Capitoline Museums, Museum of Rome in Trastevere, Sacred Area of Largo Argentina, Palazzo Braschi, Municipal Gallery of Modern Art, Ara Pacis Museum, Zoology Museum and the Villa Torlonia museum complex.

This year Italy is celebrating 25 years in the Six Nations after joining England, France, Ireland, Scotland and Wales in the rugby union championship in 2000.

The Maratona di Roma marks its 30th anniversary with a record number of runners participating in the popular Rome event, hailed by many as "the most beautiful marathon in the world".