The purpose of the study, presented at the beginning of February and conducted by the Centro Studi Gianfranco Imperatore, the research arm of the association Civita, is to provide information on which to base new ideas for attracting more visitors to Italy’s heritage sites and making their visits more enjoyable.

The sites under scrutiny were the Capitoline Museums, the Imperial Forum museum in the Trajan’s market complex, the national Etruscan museums in Rome and Cerveteri, the archaeological area of Paestum and the national archaeological museums in Florence and Naples.

The study sample was made up of 1,500 people visiting the sites. Most of those questioned (50.9 per cent) came from other cities and the vast majority (80 per cent) said that they would like to make a return visit. About 39 per cent said they did some previous background reading, either in a guide book or on the internet. Only 14 per cent were critical about the information available at the sites and the services provided.

Civita is an association that developed out of the 1987 campaign to save Civita di Bagnoregio in upper Lazio. It is made up of companies, private individuals and public organisations. It has a research and marketing arm specialising in all aspects of the national heritage with offices in Rome, Milan and Naples.