ItalyUpdate

The lost city of Pompeii will be one of the first Italian archaeological sites to re-open after the Coronavirus lockdown. For the moment, access will only be through the Amphitheatre Gate and itineraries will be restricted to certain areas, with one-way routes mapped out, in order to ensure visitor safety. Time slots will be designated for visitors, who will also be tested for possible covid symptoms at the entrance.

As part of the “Stay Home” online cultural programme, the Italian Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MIBACT) is featuring a selection of the rare collection of antique maps from the Italian Touring Club archives. The 67 hand-drawn maps chosen cover a wide variety of topographical features, including mountain passes, transhumance sheep tracks, old travellers' routes, boundaries of past realms, like the Kingdom of Naples and the Territories of St. Peter and one unique map documenting agricultural products in various regions, complete with pictures of farm animals, orchards and vegetable cultivations.

Nominated 7thin the list of Most Endangered Monuments of Europa Nostra, the magnificent Castle of Sammezzano (Tuscany) still languishes in a state of neglect, despite the efforts of the Save Sammezzano committee, set up in 2015 to acquire funds to restore the building and open it to the public. 

One of Italy's most famous Flower Festivals, the Infiorata in the town of Genzano near Rome has been cancelled this year due to the coronavirus epidemic.

The recent excavation campaign at one of the most important archaeological sites in the Molise region uncovered new insights into the secrets of the Samnites, a warrior people that occupied south-central Italy and held out against the Romans for centuries. 

Since museums and galleries became off-limits with the outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic, the Italian Ministry of Culture (MIBAC) and many curators of the principal collections have organised online alternative.

The Italian Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MIBAC) has launched an online virtual tour of museums, palaces and historic sites.

Eike Schmidt, the dynamic curator of the Uffizi Museums in Florence, assured foreign press journalists in a recent meeting in streaming that the programme of events and exhibitions that have been postponed due to the Covid-19 crisis are simply on hold and will go ahead as soon as the situation permits.

Venice joins the list of Italian landmarks illuminated in green, white and red, the three colours of the national flag, as a gesture of hope and solidarity during the present coronavirus epidemic.

It may be a bit early to think of holiday plans, but a month of lockdown has started many people dreaming. Due to probable travel limitations, Italians are being advised to restrict travel to the home base.