From 23 to 24 March, 700 of Italy’s cultural sites, many of which are not usually open to the public, will be open to all for free.
The open days form part of the Giornata FAI di Primavera (FAI Spring Day) initiative. FAI stands for Fondo per l’Ambiente Italiano (Italian Environment Fund), an international organisation that helps to preserve and maintain Italy’s national heritage and cultural assets.
Some 700 churches, lighthouses, palaces, parks, castles, archaeological sites, villas, gardens, and even a barracks, hydroelectric power station and astronomical observatory will be open. Among them are the Osservatorio Astronomico G. Boccardi (G. Boccardi Astronomical Observatory) in Castelmauro, Molise; the Faro di Punta Penna (Punta Penna Lighthouse) at Porto di Vasto, Abruzzo, which is the second-highest in Italy; the 12th-century Monastero Di San Tommaso Di Canterbury(Monastery of St. Thomas of Canterbury) in Marsico Nuovo, Basilicata; Circolo Ufficiali Marina Militare Vittorio Veneto (Official Navy Circle Vittorio Veneto) in La Spezia, Liguria, and the Liberty-style Palazzetto Sgariglia Dalmonte (Sgariglia Dalmonte Palace) in Ascoli Piceno, Marche.
The open-day event is the 21st in FAI’s history and to date, the initiative has allowed 6,800,000 people to see some of Italy’s unknown treasures. All visits are accompanied by volunteer guides who belong to FAI. Some tours are in English,depending on the guide.
To find out more details about the locations to visit, see the FAI Spring Day site at http://www.giornatafai.it.
