Florence’s newly unified state museum network will change its weekly closure day from 15 March, aligning major venues under a single timetable as part of a broader institutional overhaul.
Under a decree issued by the director general, the Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze, the Museo Nazionale del Bargello, the Museo delle Cappelle Medicee, the Complesso di Orsanmichele and the Museo di Palazzo Davanzati will close on Mondays, in line with the Accademia.
The reform is part of the creation of the new Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze e Musei del Bargello system, led since October 2025 by director Andreina Contessa. In an interview with Finestre sull’Arte, Contessa described the merger of seven venues as “a really important step in the Italian and international museum scene”, aimed at building “a unified, but plural narrative” across Florence’s state collections.
She acknowledged the managerial complexity of integrating institutions with different traditions and timetables, saying the challenge is “to make people work together” and to move from a structure that existed “on paper” to “a new entity that works and is visible and speaks in society”.
The new system introduces integrated tickets valid for up to 72 hours and coordinated opening hours, with the goal of encouraging slower, more thematic visits. Contessa said the idea is to create “a new urban itinerary” allowing visitors to follow Florence’s artistic development from the Middle Ages to the nineteenth century, while also restoring a stronger bond with residents who often feel “somewhat dispossessed” by overtourism.
From mid-March, the Bargello and Orsanmichele will open every Sunday, while Palazzo Davanzati will open on Sunday afternoons.
Standardisation could create greater bottlenecks at museums
However, the decision to standardise Monday closures removes one day of access per week for several of Florence’s most visited museums. For a city that depends heavily on cultural tourism, the loss of a full operating day could reduce visitor flow, particularly during peak seasons when demand already exceeds capacity.
Sarah Cater, an independent tour guide based in Florence, said the queues are already horrendous during peak times. “Closing all the major museums on the same day is lunacy. We already have to wait long past allotted entry times, due to poor management of security – only one scanner working at a time, for example – and due to sheer volume of tourists.
“This change to opening times means we cannot help visitors plan their time as effectively as before, scheduling visits to smaller, but still significant, museums such as the Bargello on the days when the Accademia and Uffizi close.”
Tour operators and independent travellers often plan short stays around tight schedules; a coordinated Monday closure may concentrate crowds into fewer days and limit flexibility for visitors.
The new opening times follow on from increased entry fees which were introduced in February.
