Italy opens attractions late-night hours

Italy has started keeping some of its biggest cultural sites open later at night as a fourth major summer heatwave pushes temperatures higher across the country. A pilot launched on August 1 extends visiting hours at Rome’s Colosseum and Pantheon and at Milan’s Castello Sforzesco through the end of August, according to Italy’s Culture Ministry and Tourism Ministry. The move comes as Italy’s health ministry placed all 27 cities it monitors under its highest heat alert for Thursday. Time Out and Italian media said the longer hours were designed to let visitors avoid the hottest part of the day and help spread crowds more evenly. ### Which sites are actually staying open later? Rome’s Colosseum will stay open on Fridays and Saturdays from 7:45 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., while the Pantheon will open from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. every day except Thursday, according to the pilot details reported by Time Out and Il Sole 24 Ore. Milan’s Castello Sforzesco is extending hours by two hours daily, staying open until 7:30 p.m. through August. (timeout.com) August 31 is the end date for the trial, Italian media said, with the initiative covering state-run monuments in Rome and a municipal landmark in Milan. Time Out reported discounted tickets were also being offered in Milan for Michelangelo’s “Pietà Rondanini” and the “Passione e Disegno” exhibition inside Castello Sforzesco. ### Why did officials change the hours now? (timeout.com) Italy’s health ministry said all 27 major cities in its heat-warning system would be under maximum red alert on Thursday. ANSA reported temperatures could reach 40C in some areas and said the heat was not expected to ease for at least a week. A Level 3 red warning indicates a heat emergency with health risks for the general population, not only vulnerable groups. (timeout.com) Alessandro Giuli, Italy’s culture minister, said the evening openings at the Colosseum and Pantheon would give visitors “an opportunity to experience” the sites in a different setting. Il Sole 24 Ore reported that Gianmarco Mazzi, the tourism minister, said the pilot followed discussions with tourist guides and other industry participants. (ansa.it) ### Is this only about heat, or also about crowd control? The Culture Ministry said the project had a “twofold” aim: helping tourists and improving the management of visitor flows. Il Sole 24 Ore reported officials wanted to offer visits at cooler hours and at times more compatible with work schedules. (en.ilsole24ore.com) Time Out said the change also responds to the practical strain of peak-summer sightseeing in Italy’s biggest cities, where long queues and high midday temperatures have become a routine part of August tourism. The publication linked the move to broader pressure on workers and visitors during repeated heatwaves. ### Are other museums also trying evening openings? (en.ilsole24ore.com) Rome’s Galleria Borghese is separately running evening openings on Fridays and Saturdays until 11 p.m. through August 8, according to its official website. That schedule is not part of the same Rome-Milan pilot as described by Il Sole 24 Ore, but it shows other institutions are also shifting programming into cooler hours. (timeout.com) Italian outlets have also reported other summer programs with extended hours at museums and heritage sites around the country, though the nationally publicized heat-response pilot centers on the three headline landmarks in Rome and Milan. ### What should travelers check before going? Official site pages remain the best place to confirm entry times, ticketing and any exceptions before visiting. (galleriaborghese.cultura.gov.it) Time Out said travelers should check Castello Sforzesco’s website for exact pricing, while the pilot itself runs through August 31 at the Colosseum, Pantheon and Castello Sforzesco. August 31 is the key date for the current scheme. (initaly.it) After that, any extension or expansion would depend on Italy’s Culture Ministry, Tourism Ministry, Milan city authorities and the individual sites’ official schedules. (en.ilsole24ore.com) (timeout.com)