After three months of lockdown, travel has returned to Italy on June 3 as regional and international borders reopened, and quarantine rules were relaxed.
Travel Restrictions Lifted
Italy has lifted travel restrictions within the country after non-essential travel limits were imposed on March 9. From today, its borders have opened to visitors from the European Union, the UK, Vatican City, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, and Schengen Area members including Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. Consequently, tourists arriving into Italy from these countries will not have to face quarantine.
Reopening of Cultural Attractions
Cultural attractions have also begun to reopen their doors, albeit with fewer crowds and new rules. Visitors wearing protective masks have been slowly trickling into Rome’s Colosseum and Vatican Museums after the attractions reopened on Monday during phase two of Italy’s lockdown exit plan. Domestic tourists have also been taking advantage of the quieter spaces and reduced crowds to explore their country in a new light.
Visiting the Colosseum and Vatican Museums
To visit the Colosseum, visitors now have to purchase tickets online in advance, have their temperatures checked, and wear face masks in the ancient arena at all times. Similar rules apply in the Vatican, where guests have been enjoying the luxury of having the sites almost to themselves through staggered entrance times and extended opening hours. The museums typically receive more than six million visitors each year, all eager to see the vast collection of treasures, including Michelangelo’s frescoes in the Sistine Chapel. However, they expect a fraction of their usual numbers for the remainder of the year.
Highlights in Florence
In Florence, major attractions such as Accademia Gallery, Palazzo Pitti, and the Uffizi Gallery are open and accepting visitors. The Uffizi, which houses masterpieces from Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Botticelli, is reducing its daily visitor numbers from 900 to 450 in light of new health guidelines. Notably, the Duomo Cathedral will be the first attraction in the country to provide wearable social distancing technology to its patrons.
Attractions in Pisa and Pompeii
The Leaning Tower of Pisa, which usually attracts five million visitors a year, is only allowing 15 people to enter at a time to maintain social distancing. Additionally, the archaeological site of Pompeii has reopened only its open-air exhibits, with designated time slots and one-way paths for visitors, along with a reduced ticket price of €5 (down from €15).
Unique Experiences for Visitors
Despite the reduction in visitor numbers, museums and attractions continue to provide exceptional experiences. Massimo Osanno, Pompeii’s general director, mentioned that visitors will be able to access ancient open-air household sites that have never been open to the public before. In the Le Scuderie del Quirinale in Rome, a major exhibition celebrating the 500th anniversary of the death of the Renaissance painter Raphael opened to the public on June 1 and will be available until August 30.
