Visit More Than 1,100 Usually Off-Limits Sites in Italy This Weekend
This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page.
Missed Italy’s Museum Week this month? You’re in luck. More than 1,100 sites all over the country will be free and open to the public on March 23 and 24.
The 26th annual edition of Giornate FAI di Primavera (FAI Spring Days) is a project of the Fondo Ambiente Italiano (FAI), an organization founded in 1975 that preserves and protects historic landmarks, gardens, parks, villas and castles throughout Italy. According to Condé Nast Traveler, only 30 of the sites participating in FAI Spring Days are actually owned by FAI, while more than 1,000 are privately owned buildings normally off-limits to the public.
FAI runs some of the country’s most incredible sites, including Villa Necchi Campiglio — the midcentury home in Milan where director Luca Guadagnino filmed “I Am Love” — and the historic Villa del Balbianello on Lake Como, where scenes from “James Bond: Casino Royale” were filmed.
Both will be open this weekend, but reservations are required at Villa Necchi Campiglio and only the gardens of Villa del Balbianello will be free to the public. Access to the interiors will be restricted to FAI members, but you can sign up on the spot.
A membership costs €39 (about $44) for adults and is valid for one year. In addition to granting access to FAI’s 36 sites in Italy, a membership also includes access to sites run by the National Trust of England and Wales, the National Trust for Jersey, the National Trust for Scotland and the National Trust for Australia. Members also get discounts at 1,500 cultural sites across Italy, including Florence’s Palazzo Strozzi and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice.
Many sites participating in FAI Spring Days are asking for suggested donations of around €5 (nearly $6), which will go toward maintenance and preservation.
Normally, sites like Villa Necchi Campiglio have limited hours and might require visitors to go on a guided tour, rather than wandering around freely, as you would in a museum.
For FAI Spring Days, some 40,000 volunteers will be on hand to help answer questions and 100 foreign guides will offer tours in English, Hindi, Arabic and other languages.
If you can’t hop on a last-minute flight this weekend, consider planning a trip to Italy this fall for FAI Autumn Days. The dates have not yet been announced, but will likely be in either September or October.
Featured photo of Villa del Balbianello courtesy of FAI.
Sign-up Successful!
Welcome to The Points Guy!
WELCOME OFFER: 80,000 Points
TPG'S BONUS VALUATION*: $1,650
CARD HIGHLIGHTS: 2X points on all travel and dining, points transferrable to over a dozen travel partners
*Bonus value is an estimated value calculated by TPG and not the card issuer. View our latest valuations here.
- Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. Plus earn up to $50 in statement credits towards grocery store purchases within your first year of account opening.
- Earn 2X points on dining including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out and travel. Plus, earn 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 80,000 points are worth $1,000 toward travel.
- With Pay Yourself Back℠, your points are worth 25% more during the current offer when you redeem them for statement credits against existing purchases in select, rotating categories.
- Get unlimited deliveries with a $0 delivery fee and reduced service fees on eligible orders over $12 for a minimum of one year with DashPass, DoorDash's subscription service. Activate by 12/31/21.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Get up to $60 back on an eligible Peloton Digital or All-Access Membership through 12/31/2021, and get full access to their workout library through the Peloton app, including cardio, running, strength, yoga, and more. Take classes using a phone, tablet, or TV. No fitness equipment is required.
Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.