Night at the Museum 2014

Posted on by Lourdes Flores

This Saturday, May 17, is Europe’s 2014 Night at the Museum and as such many museums and other cultural sites in Italy will be open for extended evening times so that visitors can enjoy art and culture into the night.

All of the museums that are taking part will be open from 8pm to midnight, with many asking for a symbolic entrance fee of 1 euro and many others offering free entrance.

In Florence, you can visit the following museums on Saturday from 7pm to 11pm (and cost 1 euro):

Entrance will be free to the Last Supper of Andrea del Sarto (Via di San Salvi 16) and at the 3 Medici villas near Florence which are now UNESCO Heritage Sites: La Petraia, Poggio a Caiano and Cerreto Guidi.

The Museum of Palazzo Vecchio will also be open, from 6pm to midnight, with free entrance. The tower will close at 6pm but the battlements below can still be visited (although you need to reserve a spot for those as entrance is limited to groups every 30 minutes (book by calling 055-2768224 or 055-2768224 or emailing info@muse.comune.fi.it). Last entrance is at 11:30pm.

The Salvatore Ferragamo Museum will be open from 7:30pm to 11pm with reduced ticket entrance of € 4 where you’ll be able to take advantage and see the exhibit “The Prodigious Shoemaker” which will close the following day.

In addition, Florence’s Museum of Natural History will open two sections from 9 to 11pm:

  • Anthropology and Ethnology (via del Proconsolo 12) – free entrance
  • Zoology “La Specola” (via Romana 17) – free entrance
  • Crystals Exhibit (via Romana 17) – reduced ticket € 3

A very special opening for the night is the Gipsoteca di Porta Romana, which belongs to the Art Institute in Florence and thus is not open to the public. The Gipsoteca owns a very interesting collection of gesso models in Italy, with many important copies of Renaissance sculpture. There will be free guided visits from 8:30 to 11:30pm, with last entrance at 11pm. Art students will also be playing piano, string and wind instruments throughout the evening. The Gipsoteca is at Piazzale di Porta Romana, 9 (enter through the gate, the school is at the very end of the gardens).

More Special Openings in Tuscany for Night at the Museum

AREZZO

Anghiari – Museo delle Arti e Tradizioni Popolari dell’Alta Valle del Tevere (Palazzo Taglieschi)
Arezzo – Museo Archeologico Statale “C. Cilnio Mecenate” – 8pm-midnight (ticket office closes at 11:30pm)
Arezzo – Casa Vasari Museum
Arezzo – National Medieval and Modern Art Museum
Arezzo – Casa Museo Ivan Bruschi – 9pm-midnight – Guided visits at 9, 10 and 11pm, free entrance.

ELBA

Portoferraio – National Museum Napoleon Residences “Villa di San Martino” – 8:30-11:30pm (last entrance at 11pm)
Portoferraio – National Museum Napoleon Residences “Palazzina dei Mulini” – 8:30-11:30pm (last entrance at 11pm)

GROSSETO

Roselle – Archeological Area of Roselle – 7:45-11:45pm (ticket office closes at 11:15pm)

LUCCA

Lucca – National Museum of Villa Guinigi
Lucca – National Museum of Palazzo Mansi – 8pm-midnight (last entrance at 11:30pm)
Lucca – Casa Puccini – 9-midnight, free entrance, groups of max 25 people every 30 minutes.
Massaciuccoli – Archeological Area “Roman Massaciuccoli” – 9:30-11:30pm – “A Night in History” – a unique, theatrical guided visit to the archeological area. Booking is required, but event is free, just call 0584 974550.

PISA

Calci – National Museum of the Monumental Certosa in Pisa – 8:30-11:30pm (last entrance at 11pm)
Pisa – National Museum of San Matteo – 8:30-11:30pm (last entrance at 11pm)
Pisa – National Museum of Palazzo Reale – 8:30-11:30pm (last entrance at 11pm)
Pisa – Palazzo Blu of Art and Culture – from 10am to midnight, free entrance
Pisa – Museum of Instruments of Calculation – 9:30-11:30pm.

PISTOIA

Monsummano Terme – National Museum Casa Giusti – 8pm-midnight
Pistoia – Ex Oratorio del Tau – 8pm-midnight
Pistoia – Church of San Desiderio – 8pm-midnight

PRATO

Poggio a Caiano – The Medici Villa at Poggio a Caiano – 7-11pm
Carmignano – Archeological Area of Montefortini – 8pm-midnight
Prato – Palazzo Pretorio Museum – 9-midnight  (last access at 11:30) with free entrance. Fireworks at 11pm from the Emperor’s Castle. At 5pm, entertainment alongs the streets and squares around the museum provided by Compagnia Sirteta.

SIENA

Chiusi – National Archeological Museum – 8pm-midnight (ticket office closes at 11:30pm)
Monteriggioni – Hermitage of San Leonardo – 8pm-midnight
Siena – National Pinacoteca (Picture Gallery) – 8pm-midnight (ticket office closes at 11:30pm)
Casole d’Elsa – Archeological Civic Museum and Collegiata – 9-11pm, free entrance.
Montepulciano – Civic Museum Pinacoteca Crociani – 9-11pm
Colle di Val  d’Elsa – Archeological Museum “R. Bianchi Bandinelli” – 9-midnight, guided visits, free entrance.
Trequanda – Archeological Collection Giancarlo Pallavicini – 7:30-11pm with aperitif at the museum, special fixed price dinner at nearby restaurant.

For a more complete list for a specific city, search the site here and view the updated list on the MiBACT website here.

About Lourdes Flores

An American living in Florence for over 10 years, Lourdes continues to explore and discover new places in Tuscany with the eyes of a tourist but with the experience of living in Italy. She shares her experiences on this blog and website, particularly offering lots of travel planning help on the Forum!

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