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Museum tickets in Italy: booking and free days

Italian state museums are free on the first Sunday of every month, and the big three bookings run on three different clocks: 30 days ahead for the Colosseum, quarterly for the Last Supper, and a fixed unchangeable slot for the Cupola in Florence.

The first Sunday is a national rule

The first Sunday of every month, entry to state monuments, museums, galleries, archaeological sites and state parks and gardens is free under the Ministry of Culture scheme. It applies to the whole state network, not to a selected list, and the sites we checked take no reservation for it.

In 2026 the calendar adds free days outside the monthly rhythm, among them April 25, June 2 and November 4. Municipal museums, foundations and churches are outside the scheme and keep their own prices.

The Colosseum sells 30 days out

Online sales for the Parco archeologico del Colosseo open 30 days before the visit date, the ticket is nominative and the entry time band is compulsory. The ordinary ticket lasts 24 hours and lets you stay inside the amphitheater for 75 minutes, which is the part people miss.

It costs €18 full, €2 reduced for EU citizens aged 18 to 25, €11.50 with the Roma Pass, and it includes both levels of the amphitheater, the terraces, the museum, the Roman Forum and the Palatine. The release mechanics are in the Colosseum ticket release.

The Cupola slot cannot be moved

The Cupola booking is a fixed time slot that can be neither modified nor cancelled, which makes it the least forgiving reservation in Florence. Last entry is 6:45 pm Monday to Friday and 4:30 pm on Saturday.

Sundays and public holidays run on a short window, 12:45 pm to 4:30 pm, and the dome closes for maintenance from November 16 to 20, 2026. Book the flight before the dome, then the dome before anything else that day.

The Last Supper runs on a quarterly calendar

Tickets for the Cenacolo Vinciano are released three months at a time: September opens November to January, December opens February to April, March opens May to July, June opens August to October. Miss the release and the season is gone.

The second chance is weekly. Every Wednesday at noon around 215 extra tickets a day for the following week go on sale online only, which is the route most visitors actually use.

What to book, in what order

Three bookings are worth setting an alarm for, and they do not compete: the Last Supper on its quarterly date, the Colosseum 30 days out, the Cupola as soon as your Florence day is fixed. Everything else in the state network can wait.

Free Sundays fill the popular sites early, so treat them as a reason to visit a smaller museum rather than a discount on the famous one. The list of free days is on the free museum days page.

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FAQ

Which museums are free on the first Sunday of the month in Italy?

All state ones: monuments, museums, galleries, archaeological sites and state parks and gardens, under the Ministry of Culture scheme known as Domenica al Museo. Entry is free and the sites we checked take no booking for it. Municipal and church-run museums set their own rules.

Are there other free museum days in Italy in 2026?

Yes, a handful of extra dates on top of the monthly Sunday. In 2026 they include April 25, June 2 and November 4, all national anniversaries, when state museums, monuments and archaeological areas open free of charge alongside the usual first Sunday.

How far ahead do Colosseum tickets go on sale?

30 days before the visit date, online. The ticket is nominative and carries a compulsory entry time band, and the standard 24-hour ticket limits your stay inside the amphitheater to 75 minutes, though it also covers the Roman Forum and the Palatine.

Can I change my Brunelleschi Cupola booking in Florence?

No. The time slot for the Cupola cannot be modified or cancelled once booked, and booking is compulsory. Last entry is 6:45 pm on weekdays and 4:30 pm on Saturdays; on Sundays and public holidays climbs run only between 12:45 pm and 4:30 pm.

When do Last Supper tickets in Milan go on sale?

Quarterly, plus a weekly top-up. Releases follow a fixed calendar: September for November to January, December for February to April, March for May to July, June for August to October. Every Wednesday at noon around 215 extra daily tickets for the following week go online.

Is the Cupola in Florence ever closed?

Yes, for maintenance from November 16 to November 20, 2026, on top of the reduced Sunday and holiday hours. Since the slot cannot be changed or refunded, those dates are worth checking against your travel days before you pay.

Does a Colosseum ticket include the Forum and the Palatine?

Yes. The ordinary 24-hour ticket covers the first and second levels of the amphitheater with the panoramic terraces, the Colosseum museum, the Roman Forum and the Palatine, at €18 full price and €2 reduced for EU citizens aged 18 to 25.

Do I need to book for the free first Sunday?

Not at the state sites we verified, where free entry works as a walk-in. Individual museums can still cap numbers on the day, and the sites that require a timed slot the rest of the month, like the Cupola in Florence, keep requiring it.

Sources (5)

  1. 10Ministero della Cultura; doc 2 · recheck by 2027-06-30
  2. 2Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze - MiC; Gallerie degli Uffizi - MiC · recheck by 2027-06-30
  3. 330 · 75 · 24Parco archeologico del Colosseo; doc 2 · recheck by 2027-06-30
  4. 4Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore · recheck by 2027-06-30
  5. 5Museo del Cenacolo Vinciano · recheck by 2027-06-30

Updated 2026-09-02