The Hidden Gems of Italy

If you had to make a list of places you visit every time you make a destination trip, would you happen to include a museum? If the answer is yes, you’re not alone, especially in Italy. Italian state museum revenues increased by almost 50 million euros between 2013-2016 and has seen an increased visitor rate of almost 19%. With the vast exhibitions, this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, however it does mean that museums can be increasingly difficult to peruse without feeling like you’re standing cheek to cheek with strangers on the NYC transit system (which is your favorite pastime, right?). 

There is, however, a way to get in on a more exclusive experience once every year, so before you spend all of your hard earned money on that ticket to Italy, read on.

The Fondo Ambiente Italiano (FAI) or National Trust of Italy hosts an annual “Spring Days” event in March that opens up many hidden gems of Italy including: buildings, villages, and gardens to visitors that are usually closed to the public. 

This event includes 1,000 sites in 400 towns. 

Among these, the art schedule includes 260 buildings and villas, 51 villages, 79 castles and towers, 90 small museums, 40 parks and natural areas, 20 archaeological areas, 7 military establishments and 20 academies, schools, and institutions, 16 industrial and business museums, 14 theaters and amphitheaters, 8 cemeteries, and 2 former psychiatric hospitals.

To see the full list of the true hidden gems of Italy, feel free to check out the official FAI website here. This website is in Italian, however, so it would be recommended to have a translator handy! If you would like to be able to make your trip sans translator, there's no better accompaniment to experiencing these hidden gems than with your knowledge of Italian!  Grazie!