Italy's museums open for free on first Sunday of each month.

State museums and archaeological sites in Rome and across Italy will open their doors for free on Sunday 7 July as part of the monthly Domenica al Museo initiative.

The nationwide Domenica al Museo scheme, launched a decade ago, is held on the first Sunday of every month in tandem with the monthly free entry for Rome's municipal museums.

This Sunday almost all museums and archaeological sites in Rome will be open for free, however some museums such as Galleria Borghese require booking in advance.

The Pantheon, which introduced an entry fee for tourists last year, is included in the free openings on 7 July however visitors must book in advance online.

#Cultura, torna #domenicalmuseo: il #7luglio si rinnova l'iniziativa del #MiC che consente l'ingresso gratuito, ogni prima #domenica del mese, nei @museitaliani e nei parchi archeologici statali.

Per info https://t.co/Y6WUoiXv7f pic.twitter.com/fDW3bXFxJm

— Ministero della Cultura (@MiC_Italia) July 1, 2024

The double initiative by the state and the city of Rome allows free access to all municipal museums in Rome including the Ara Pacis and the Capitoline Museums as well as the archaeological area of the Circus Maximus.

A new entry on the free museum list this year is the Forma Urbis Museum, in the archaeological park on the Caelian hill, which houses the remaining fragments of the Forma Urbis Romae, the giant marble map of ancient Rome.

The area sacra at Largo di Torre Argentina is also open to the public for free this Sunday.

Reservations to Rome's museums and archaeological sites on Sunday 7 July are only required for groups, for more information see city website or tel. 060608.

Cover image: Galleria Borghese: Photo credit:Red_Baron / Shutterstock.com.