Historic sites across Italy open for the 2022 edition of Giornate FAI di Primavera (FAI Spring Days). Their doors open on the weekend of 26-27th March.
Around 700 notable Italian buildings and historic sites open their doors to the public on the weekend of 26-27 March. It is part of the annual FAI Spring Days initiative organised by the Fondo Ambiente Italiano (FAI).
Included are palaces, castles, abbeys, libraries, parks, nature trails and gardens across Italy. They are rarely open to the public. 2022 sees the 30th edition of the event.
2022 highlights
Among the highlights this year is the Casino di Villa Boncompagni Ludovisi or Villa Aurora. The Rome palace with a Caravaggio mural goes up for auction for a second time on 7th April.
Another Rome site is the 16th-century Collegio Romano complex housing Italy’s culture ministry. They will open the usually inaccessible Spadolini Room and Meteorology Room.
In Turin, the neo-Gothic Montestrutto Castle constructed around a tower dating to the ninth century, will be open. Meanwhile, in Naples the so-called English Cemetery, or Cimitero acattolico di S. Maria delle Fede, will also allow visitors. Among those buried there are Mary Somerville (née Fairfax), Scottish mathematician and theoretical astronomer and Elizabeth Craven, Princess Berkeley and Margravine of Brandenburg-Ansbach (1750–1828), who was an English socialite, playwright and travel writer.
The FAI works to preserve and promote Italy’s cultural heritage through education, restoration and annual open days. Their spring open day has attracted over 11.6million visitors over the last 30 years.
The complete list of participating buildings and monuments, as well as opening hours can be found here.
