With the city as hot as Inferno and equally crowded with tourists, the thought of heading out to a museum is far from most of our minds. Especially as most museums here are not air conditioned! But this summer, there are a few special evening openings that might drag us off the couch!
1) Aperitivi ad Arte
The weekly evening museum openings paired with an aperitivo continue through summer 2013 and you can pick from the Bargello (Tuesdays), Accademia (Wednesdays), or Uffizi (Thursdays). All cost 15 euros including drink and museum entrance, and run until September 25 2013. Reservations required by phone at (+39) 055/294883.
2) The Baptistery
Florence’s Baptistery usually closes at 7pm, but until September 28, 2013, it will be open to 11pm every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night – an opportunity to visit a monument after dinner or while you’re out on the town. Many Florentines have never been inside to see the marvelous mosaic dome, the only example of this art in the city.
3) Concerts at the Bargello
While it’s not a museum visit per se, the Bargello becomes a stage for concerts and dance with ‘Estate al Bargello’, another night-time opportunity to get out and take in some culture. Excluding theatre in English, here are some highlights of the full programme:
- July 27 – Film music dedicated to Morricone
- July 28 + Aug 4 – the Marriage of Figaro
- July 31 + Aug 2 – Mozart’s opera in one act BASTIEN UND BASTIENNE
- September 9 – Mozart Chamber music concert
- September 13, 14, 15, 20 – contemporary classical music concerts by Flame Ensemble
All concerts start at 9:15pm and cost around 15 euro.
4) State museums evening openings
If you prefer to skip the aperitivo, you can still visit the Uffizi, Accademia or the Medici Chapels on occasional night-time openings this summer.
Thanks to the ‘Una notte al Museo’ initiative promoted by Mibac, State museums around Italy are open once a month until late (but not for free like they used to be). The three museums in Florence are open Saturday nights until 11pm, with regular entrance fees, on the following dates: July 27 (excluding the Uffizi), August 31, September 28, October 26, November 30, December 28, 2013.
The Uffizi will also be open until 10pm on Tuesday nights in July, August and September.
If free is more your thing, you can go to the Accademia every Thursday night for free in the summer (July, August, September) from 7-10pm!
5) Bonus: Siena’s Duomo at night
It’s not in Florence but in Siena – every Saturday night from August 24 to October 25, the Duomo is open from 8pm until midnight so you can see the magnificent marble intarsia floor of the Duomo of Siena from a special walkway high up in the cathedral. It’s the first time this point of view has been open to the public. Guided tours cost 25€. For full info see this post on arttrav.
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