Tuscany is very famous for her endless incredible museums dotted in villages, towns, and cities all across the region. For art-lovers and those interested in learning more about fashion, history, science, and more alike, there will certainly be a museum to suit your tastes and interests. However, if you also happen to like a bargain or you’re looking for ways to make your budget go even further when you book your vacation with Tuscany Villas, then you might be interested in a ministerial decree that introduced an initiative allowing you to plan visits to museums in Tuscany for free each month.
Called Sunday at the Museum, this renewed initiative provides free admission to all state museums and archaeological areas as well as many cultural institutions and places on the first Sunday of each month starting once more from the 5th of November 2023. So, if you book your villa in Tuscany towards the beginning of the month, you’ll be able to avail of this amazing opportunity.
Here are some of the participating museums and cultural institutions that can be visited for free on this day each month:
Arezzo
For those planning on booking a vacation rental in Arezzo, you can visit the National Archaeological Museum of Gaio Cilnio Mecenate with its Etruscan jewellery, Roman sculptures, ancient coins, and more; the Casa Vasari Museum, the extraordinary home of the Renaissance artist Giorgio Vasari; the Basilica of Saint Francis with its incredible Renaissance frescoes including Piero della Francesca cycle of The Legend of the True Cross; and the National Museum of Medieval and Modern Art.
Florence
Those who find a luxury villa in Florence in time for Sunday at the Museum will be delighted to have the opportunity to visit many of the city’s heavy-hitters for free! This is a great time to pop into the world-famous Uffizi Museum with its extraordinary collection of works by massive household names in the history of art including Botticelli, Michelangelo, Da Vinci, and more. In addition to the Uffizi, the building complex of this museum is also home to an array of other amazing attractions including the Boboli Gardens, the Costume Gallery (an outstanding fashion museum), the Gallery of Modern Art, and more. You can also see Michelangelo’s famous David as well as other wonderful pieces in the Accademia in addition to a wide array of Renaissance sculptural works in the Bargello. A long list of other Medici palaces, stunning state gardens, the National Archaeological Museum, and many other wonderful museums and cultural attractions are also all included in the list of spaces open to the public for free on Sunday at the Museum so you’ll never be short of something to see or do on this day in the birthplace of the Renaissance! Do note, however, that the major museums will be incredibly busy on this day so, if you prefer to avoid intense crowds, it might be better to choose less well-known examples on the Sunday and to come back for the likes of the Uffizi on a regular weekday.
Lucca
If that all seems overwhelming in its scope, then those who book a holiday rental in Lucca will find a much more manageable situation. The city, though full of lots of charms and things to see and do, only has two institutions that are part of the Sunday at the Museum initiative – the National Museum of Villa Guinigi and the National Museum of Palazzo Mansi. The former boasts works of art from the Middle Ages right up the the 1700s and the latter is a stunning former palace that has been carefully restored and displays paintings, frescoes, historic furniture, and more.
Pisa
While this is another spot with some impossibly famous attractions, those who secure a villa in Pisa will be able to visit some less familiar but no less interesting gems on this day for free including the Monumental Charterhouse of Calci (an incredible former monastery that now houses the University of Pisa’s impressive Natural History Museum where you can see dinosaurs, vast whale skeletons, and more), the National Museum of the Royal Palace (a sumptuous palace full of extraordinary works of art and historic objects in the restored setting of this gorgeous historic building), and the National Museum of San Matteo (with its rich collection of religious art and altarpieces).
Siena
Those who find a vacation rental in Siena will be able to visit the National Etruscan Museum, Poggio Renzo Necropolis and Tomba del Colle with its amazing collection of ancient artefacts and the stunning National Gallery of Siena with its rich collection of paintings from the 14th to the 16th centuries and a sculpture gallery that boasts wonderful views over the city.
For the full list of all of the different attractions that are included in Sunday at the Museum in both Tuscany and throughout the rest of wider Italy, you can find more information on the Ministry of Culture’s official website here. And for an exceptional array of villas in Tuscany to choose from, you can check out our listings at Tuscany Villas to help you plan a perfect cultural escape in this magical part of the world. For any other help that you may need in finding the ideal villa for you and your needs, feel free to contact us and our team of seasoned villa experts will be more than happy to aid you in planning your dream escape in Tuscany.
