The rules for visiting churches are much as they are all over the Mediterranean. Dress modestly , which usually means no shorts for men or women and covered shoulders for women, and try to avoid wandering around during a service. Most churches open in the early morning, around 7 or 8am for Mass, and close around noon, opening up again at 4pm and closing at 7 or 8pm. In more remote places, some churches will only open for early morning and evening services, while others are closed at all times except Sundays and on religious holidays; if you're determined to take a look, you may have to ask around for the key.

Another problem you'll face - and this applies to the whole country - is that lots of churches, monasteries, convents and oratories are closed for restoration ( chiuso per restauro ). We've indicated in the text the more long-term closures, though you might be able to persuade a workman or priest/curator to show you around even if there's scaffolding everywhere.

Most museums and sites are closed on Mondays. Opening hours for state-run museums are generally from 9am until 7pm, Tuesday to Saturday, and from 9am until 1pm on Sunday. Most other museums roughly follow this pattern too, although they are more likely to close for a couple of hours in the afternoon, and have shorter opening hours in winter. Many large museums also run late-night openings in summer (till 10pm or later Tues-Sat, or 8pm Sun). The opening times of archeological sites are more flexible: most sites open every day, often Sunday included, from 9am until late evening - frequently specified as one hour before sunset, and thus changing according to the time of year. In winter, times are drastically cut, if only because of the darker evenings; 4pm is a common closing time. They, too, are sometimes closed on Monday.

Admission prices for state-run museums vary between £4000/?2.07 and £8000/?4.13, although for major sites such as the Forum in Rome and the Uffizi in Florence you'll be paying around £12,000/?6.20, and even higher for the Vatican. Under-18s and over-65s get in free on production of documentary proof of age, such as a passport; under-26s get half-price entry; students can often, but not always, get entry at discounted prices - an ISIC card is the safest bet. Some sites, churches and monasteries are nominally free to get in, but you are expected to tip the custodian to open things up and show you around: £1000/?0.52 per person in your party should do it. Otherwise, expect to make a donation. For the latest information on museums, the web site www.beniculturali.it/home.htm is useful.

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Festivals:
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