Founded in 1995, Weekend in Italy has grown to be the leading seller of tickets to Italy's museums and attractions, short tours, and special events.Our primary audience is the independent traveler, people who like to make their own travel arrangements.
Conversion-focused upgrades that fix clarity, positioning, and booking blockers. Delivered in 48h.
Designed by the architects Severus and Celer and decorated by the painter Fabullus, the palace consisted of a series of buildings separated by gardens, woods and vineyards, and an artificial lake in the valley where the Colosseum stands today. The main cores of the palace were located on the Palatine and Opium Hills and were famous for their lavish decoration, in which stucco, paintings, and colored marble were complemented by gold and precious stones. The vast complex included baths with normal and sulphuric water, several banquet halls, including the famous rotunda of the Coenatio that turned on itself, and a huge vestibule that housed the colossal statue of the emperor in the guise of the sun god.After Nero's death, his successors wanted to erase all traces of the emperor and his palace. The luxurious halls were stripped of coverings and sculptures and filled with earth up to the vaults to be used as foundations for other buildings.The parts that can be visited today are those on the Oppio Hill: rooms that were probably intended for feasts and banquets, which were buried and remained unknown until the Renaissance. It was then, after some accidental discoveries, that artists with a passion for antiquity, such as Pinturicchio, Ghirlandaio, Raphael and Giulio Romano, began to descend from above into these "underground caves" to copy the decorative motifs they had preserved, which, precisely because of their location, were given the name "grotesque". Even today, the term "grotesque painting" is used to refer to a genre, particularly popular in the 16th century, that takes up the motifs of Roman wall decoration, reworking and reinterpreting them in a playful and imaginative way.
If you are in Florence don't miss the new Galileo Museum, formerly Institute and Museum for the History of Science, dedicated to science and the famous Pisan scientist Galileo Galilei. See extraordinary pieces such as Galileo’s telescope, historic world maps and globes, and a series of surprising amusements such as machines that create optical illusions.
Visit the Bargello Museum's excellent displays of Italian sculptures with this skip-the-line ticket. The palace itself was built in 1255 by the people of Florence as a symbol of their victory over the nobility, and was the site for the people's government and jurisdiction. The former fortress and arsenal now holds a superb collection of sculpture, one of the most important in all of Italy.
When in Florence make sure you see one of the historic beauties of Florence, birthplace of the Renaissance.This single ticket gives you access to the treasures of the Monumental Complex which includes the Basilica, the cloisters, and the Museo dell'OperaBasilica of Santa Croce is one of the most beautiful churches of Florence and the largest Franciscan church in the world; it is also known as the Temple of the Italian Glories, as many important artists, writers and scientists, including Michelangelo Buonarroti, Galileo Galilei, Gioachino Rossini, Ugo Foscolo and Leon Battista Alberti are buried here.
Discover the Turin Egyptian Museum, specializing in Egyptian archaeology and anthropology. Dedicated exclusively to the art and culture of ancient Egypt. The Egyptian Museum in Turin offers visitors one of the world’s largest collections of Egyptian antiquities with over 30,000 artifacts, like mummies, papyri and everything related to ancient Egypt (including taxidermied animals). This tour includes entrance fees and a video guide.
The Pantheon, a temple dedicated to all the gods, was founded between 25 and 27 BC by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, son-in-law of Divus Augustus. Damaged between 80 and 110 AD, it was restored by Hadrian between 118 and 125 AD. Donated by the Byzantine Emperor Phocas to Pope Boniface IV, it was consecrated in 609 as the Basilica of St. Mary ad Martyres.The pronaos is supported by sixteen Corinthian columns of grey and pink granite. The three columns on the left flank were replaced in the 17th century at the behest of Popes Urban VIII and Alexander VII, using excavated material. The inscription on the pediment reads: M. AGRIPPA. L. F. COS. TERTIUM. FECIT (Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, consul for the third time). The gate, 7.53 m high and about 4.90 m wide, has two bronze wings, each weighing 7 tons. The interior consists of a circular hall with a diameter of 43.30 m and the same height. The wall is interrupted by seven alternating rectangular and semicircular chapels, interspersed with eight aedicules. The attic has a motif of windows and panels made by Paul Posi in 1757. The coffered dome ends in a circular opening of about 9 meters in diameter. The beam of light entering through the dome projects at noon on the axis of the doorway, making the Pantheon an astronomical clock. Rainwater entering through the dome's oculus is drained through 22 holes in the center of the floor.
After being renovated to meet current safety standards and improved lighting, it is now open to visitors in its original state: as a privileged link between the Grand Ducal Palace of Palazzo Pitti, located in the splendid Boboli Gardens, and the Uffizi Gallery, the Medici's seat of government. The project by Giorgio Vasari, commissioned by Duke Cosimo I de' Medici, dates back to 1565 and was designed to create a sheltered walkway, 750 meters long, literally suspended over the Ponte Vecchio. The Prince's Way, as it is still called today, would have allowed the de' Medici family to travel safely from Oltrarno, where the family's private residence was located, to the seat of government at Palazzo Vecchio. The famous architect completed the walkway in less than six months, illuminating it with a series of 73 windows through which modern visitors can enjoy a privileged and unforgettable view of the city of Florence. CCThe corridor is part of the tour of the Uffizi Gallery. Reservations required
The Pinacoteca di Brera was officially founded in 1809, although an initial heterogeneous collection of works had already existed since 1776 and was expanded in the following years for educational purposes, alongside the Academy of Fine Arts desired by Maria Theresa of Austria.The corpus was intended to be a collection of exemplary works for the training of students. When Milan became the capital of the Kingdom of Italy, at the behest of Napoleon, the collection was transformed into a museum to display the most important paintings from all the territories conquered by the French armies. Thus, unlike other great Italian museums such as the Uffizi, Brera did not originate from the private collection of princes and aristocrats, but from political and state collecting.In fact, from the early sixteenth century, partly as a result of the suppression of many religious orders, paintings confiscated from Lombard churches and monasteries were added to the collection, along with works of identical provenance from the various departments of the Kingdom of Italy. This origin explains the predominance in the collections of sacred paintings, often of large format, and gives the museum a particular physiognomy, only partially mitigated by subsequent acquisitions.Today, the Picture Gallery plays a decisive role in the Milanese art scene. Its permanent collection offers an exceptional heritage of Italian and foreign masterpieces: among others, Mantegna's Dead Christ, Raphael's Marriage of the Virgin, Caravaggio's Supper of Emmaus and Hayez's The Kiss.
Roman emperors built their summer residences away from the Palatine Hill, the area where the city residences were built. Hadrian, who ruled Rome from 117 to 138, initiated a great architectural project on the outskirts of Rome, trying to bring together all that he had seen during his many travels. For this reason, he had the Villa Adriana built, one of the most beautiful and well-kept examples of an imperial palace.For the site of his new residence, he chose a resort not far from the Urbe. He chose Tivoli because at that time it was already known as a holiday resort and had the advantage of being close to the Urbe. The total area of the villa extended over 300 hectares, equal to that of a real city.It was divided into three nuclei: the eastern quarters, the central quarters and the upper quarters. These three areas were connected by special passages that also allowed control of who entered and left. The complex was also surrounded by high defensive walls. The emperor's residence was located in the central part and was accessed through a monumental entrance with three exedras. It was impossible to overlook the baths, which were the preferred place not only for treatment but also for business. Among the buildings of the eastern quarter, the most prominent was the Greek Theater, behind which rose the Palestra complex. The most important part of this area was the Greek and Latin Library, which was accessed through a large terrace, behind which was the Hall of Philosophers, probably reserved for hearings, next to which was the Maritime Theater, identical in shape and size to the Pantheon. It had a portico with a water channel. In the middle there was a small island with a villa on it, which could be reached by two revolving wooden bridges.Villa Adriana represents the most eloquent aspect of Roman architecture of the period. The richness and magnificence of its rooms and the monumentality that characterizes the building as a whole express the great power of the Emperor Hadrian.
Skip-the-line ticket, guarantee to skip the long lines and inclusive of temporary exhibitions fees.
Visit the majestic San Martino Charterhouse on top of the Vomero hill, at the highest point of the city of Naples. Don't miss the opportunity to admire the architectural beauties of the monastery and the rich collection of the museum.
Discover close to 1,000 years of Neapolitan history, and enjoy breathtaking unimpaired 360 degree views over the city, the surrounding countryside, and the Bay of Naples.
UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999, Hadrian’s Villa includes an immense park, encompassing nearly 250 acres, ruins, thermal structures, a theater, temples, libraries, state rooms, and buildings to house courtiers and slaves. It was the greatest Roman example of an Alexandrian garden, re-creating a sacred landscape.
If you are in Naples don't miss the chance to visit The Museo di Capodimonte, one of the most important Italian museums; its art collection is made by the Farnese and Borbone collections. The museum preserves also a series of paintings coming from Neapolitan churches, among them two Caravaggio masterpieces.
If you are in Naples don't miss the opportunity to visit the incredible Royal Palace that was the seat of the monarchy in Naples and Southern Italy for three centuries, from 1600 to 1946 - beginning with the early Spanish and Austrian Viceroys, followed by the Bourbon Kings and ending with the Savoy royal family. The Royal Palace has housed the Museum of the State Apartments and the National Library since 1919 and has thus taken on a different cultural role in city life.
The Royal Palace of Venaria is a magnificent example of Baroque art immersed in the beautiful setting of its namesake village. The French Gardens have left their mark important architects as Amedeo di Castellamonte and Juvarra. This ticket ensures a streamlined entry into the Venaria Royal Palace.
A true jewel of the Roman Baroque, the Colonna Gallery was commissioned in the mid-16th century by Cardinal Girolamo I Colonna and his nephew, Lorenzo Onofrio Colonna. It was inaugurated in 1700 by Lorenzo Onofrio's son, Filippo II.The original design was made by the architect Antonio del Grande; it was completed in the last decades of the 1600's by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Paolo Schor and Carlo Fontana.From the beginning, the Gallery was conceived as a grand representation hall to celebrate the victory of the Christian fleet over the Turks at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571.Marcantonio II Colonna was the true victor of the Battle of Lepanto in 1571: the entire decoration of the Gallery was dedicated to him. This important historical event is depicted in the frescoes of the Great Hall, which owe their splendor to the mastery of painters such as Coli and Gherardi. On the other hand, the frescoes in the Sala dei Passaggi, with the wonderful "Allegory of the Battle", date back to the 18th century. The Hall of Columns is therefore an authentic celebration of Marcantonio II and his apotheosis.The whole gallery is designed to be seen as an artistic jewel in itself: the pictorial masterpieces are innumerable and the fact that the inspiration of Tintoretto, Guido Reni, Pietro da Cortona and many others was used. Antique marbles and frames with a vague and sensual baroque flavor complete the splendid collections of the family.Finally, very interesting in the context of this apartment are the caskets in the Hall of Passages, truly magnificent and precious, an authentic treasure of wood and precious stones (a true triumph of ebony and ivory craftsmanship).The other authentic wonder of the Colonna Gallery is undoubtedly the apartment of Princess Isabelle.It is basically a wing of the palace, dating back to the 15th century and still influenced by the important residence of Pope Martin V, who lived here until 1431. The main attractions of this apartment are certainly the frescoes by Bernardino di Betto, a painter better known as Pinturicchio, who was able to make the Fountain Room a true masterpiece. Instead, it was Cardinal Borromeo who stayed in these rooms in the 1500s, the period of maximum prestige and splendor for the building: the greatest artists and painters of the time passed through and breathed the Baroque air of the rooms. Gaspard Dughet and Carlo Cesi were responsible for the rich and extensive decoration of the later period. Nordic painting also has its place in this apartment: the paintings of Brueghel the Elder and Van Wittel's Views were jealously and preciously guarded, and today all visitors benefit from them.The name of the apartment comes from the fact that Princess Isabelle Colonna stayed here until 1984: her grandchildren wanted to dedicate this wing, so refined and with such an important past, to her memory.
Villa Pisani in Stra, the most imposing, the largest and the most visited, called the "villa of villas".Some very brief historical notes are obligatory: it was built on a pre-existing building to celebrate the glory of the Pisani family, especially when Alvise Pisani was elected Doge in 1735. After the end of the Serenissima, it was owned by Napoleon; in 1814 the Austrians took over. When Venice joined the Kingdom of Italy in 1866, Victor Emmanuel II stayed there for a short time, and two years later it became state property. It has been a national museum since the late 1800s. Countless important guests and visitors came from all over Europe: Tsar Alexander I of Russia, Gustav of Sweden, Maria Luigia of Parma and many others. In 1934, Hitler and Mussolini met here. The magnificence of the villa is immediately apparent from the Baroque façade, with a central temple-like structure with a tympanum and Corinthian columns. Terraces and statues decorate the sides, which end with two buildings that recall the classical style of the central part.
Located within one of Rome's most beautiful buildings, the 16th-century Palazzo Capodiferro, the Spada Gallery houses the important collection of Baroque painting created during the 17th century by Cardinals Bernardino and Fabrizio Spada. The fineness of its art collection, which is still presented in overlapping rows as in a 17th-century picture gallery, gives this place a unique charm, accentuated by its characteristic dimension as a precious family collection. At the conclusion of the first-floor museum tour is a visit to the Secret Garden, which preserves the most spectacular Baroque artifice in Rome: the illusionistic Colonnade (or Perspective) created in 1653 by Francesco Borromini for Cardinal Bernardino Spada.
Palazzo Grimani was the home of one of the most important families of the Venetian patriciate until the middle of the 19th century. It was purchased purchased at the end of the 15th century by the patrician Antonio Grimani, a protagonist in the political and in the political and military life of the Republic of Venice, elected Doge in 1521. The property was later bequeathed by Antonio to his four sons and became the home of this branch of the family, then called called "di Santa Maria Formosa".
This new integrated ticket allows fast entry to the Chapel of San Gennaro, the Museum of the Treasure of San Gennaro and the Gaetano Filangieri Museum.The tour starts with the Museum of the Treasure, continues through the adjacent Cathedral of Naples, and the Cappella del Tesoro, and ends with a visit to the Filangieri Museum, in the splendid setting of the reborn Palazzo Como including many precious examples of eighteenth-century clothing and the beautiful library of 30,000 volumes.This reservation also includes the audio guide for the Chapel and the Museum of the Treasury, available in Italian, English, French, German and Spanish (for the Filangieri Museum, the audio guide will be available shortly).It’s advisable to bring your own earphones (no bluetooth), but these can also be purchased on site at a cost of €1.
The Castello di Sant'Elmo has its origins in the 1200's, situated on the Vomero hill in Naples, it is a medieval castle now used as a museum and home to the offices of the Directorate of the Polo Museale della Campania and the Museum of the Twentieth Century in Naples. What makes this monumental place so splendid is its strategic position, from which it is possible to admire a breathtaking view of the sea, Vesuvius, the islands, the Campi Flegrei and the Matese mountains. The fortress is one of the largest and most important in the city and welcomes many visitors every year. Do not miss a visit to the Museo del Novecento in Naples, with more than 170 works by Neapolitan artists from different artistic movements.
Discover Caserta Royal Palace, a lavish complex, considered the Versailles of the Campania region, that also accommodated a university, the ministries, a public library, the magistracy, a large theater, a seminary, and a cathedral church. Once the residence of the Bourbon Kings the palace is now considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site and offers breathtaking architecture, splendid vistas, beautiful parks and gardens.
The most important material stems from excavations conducted by the Soprintendenza of Agrigento, the government department responsible for monuments and other treasures.The collection illustrates the history of the ancient city of Agrigento and its territory from prehistory to the period of Hellenization.
Discover Pisa's Cathedral Square, better known as the Miracles Square (Piazza dei Miracoli) and formed by a unique ensemble of four monumental buildings (aside from the tower, there is the Cathedral, the Baptistery and the Monumental Cemetery) as well as by two matchless collections – the Museum of Sinopie and the Museum of the Opera. All the monumental buildings are closely related, and ruled by a single design concept.
The National Archaeological Museum of Naples is the most important archaeological collection of Greek and Roman sculptures.The particularly rich collection of Greek and Roman sculptures comes from excavations at Pompeii, Herculaneum, and nearby archaeological sites around Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, silent witnesses to one of the most famous vulcano eruptions in the history of mankind.
The Ducal Palace of Mantua is a complex of buildings built over a long period – from the beginnings of the 14th all the way to the 17th century. During the latter period, the main ruling family of Mantua, the Gonzaga, experienced their decline. The complex is formed by about 500 rooms and covers a surface of almost 34.000 square meters. To create the palace, the most important artists of the various eras were called by the powerful Gonzaga family with the task to increase the magnificence of their residence. The more significant names are Bartolino da Novara, who projected and directed the construction of San Giorgio Castle, as well as Antonio Pisano, known as Pisanello, who realized a famous cycle of frescoes inspired by the legend of King Arthur, Andrea Mantegna, artist of the famous Camera Picta or "Chamber of the Newlyweds", and Giulio Romano, famous for both his paintings and the scenographic project of the architectural creations.
Don't miss an opportunity to see Michelangelo's sculptures and architectural design of the Medici Chapels in Florence. This homage to the great Medici leaders is decorated with the masterfully-sculpted allegories of Night, Day, Dawn, and Dusk.
Located in the heart of Florence, the Accademia Gallery hosts examples of paintings and sculptures by the great 14th and 15th century masters who made Florence the capital of art. The most famous work exhibited is the marble statue of David made by Michelangelo.
The archaeological park of Agrigento - the largest in the world - spreads over an extensive area. Within its confines rise the magnificent remains of the once powerful Greek colony - walls, necropolises, houses, public buildings, and open sanctuaries. But what attracts millions of visitors every year to this UNESCO World Heritage Site is above all the amazing series of beautiful Doric temples.
Buying tickets to the Uffizi Gallery means giving yourself an unforgettable experience that is definitely not to be missed for those visiting Florence for the first time, but not only. This museum is a place of the heart to which even those who know the city well will always return.On the banks of the Arno River is one of the most important museums in the world, thanks to an extraordinary collection of priceless works of art. The building that houses the Uffizi Galleries, built in 1560 on the orders of the Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo I and designed by the architect Vasari, originally housed the offices of the Florentine magistracy, but from the beginning it was also an extraordinary container for works of art.The collections inside have grown richer and richer over the centuries, and today the Uffizi is a state museum and a unique place that can boast the absolute masterpieces of almost all the greatest artists from Italy and beyond. Works by Giotto, Piero della Francesca, Botticelli, Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, Caravaggio and many others are on display in this extraordinary Florentine museum, which also has another special feature.The so-called Vasari Corridor, in fact the famous suspended corridor overlooking the Arno, is an exhibition space (temporarily closed for restoration), but also functions as a link between the Uffizi Gallery itself and two other important palaces in Florence, Palazzo Vecchio and Palazzo Pitti. It was built with the intention of providing a safe passage between the palaces of power and the homes of the Medici at a time when political strife was at its height.
The National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia is an Italian State Museum dedicated to the Etruscan and Faliscan civilizations: it houses in particular artifacts from southern Etruria, i.e. the territory corresponding to Upper Latium, between the Tiber and the Tyrrhenian Sea, a place extremely rich in testimonies from different periods and different civilizations (Etruscan, Greek, Phoenician, Faliscan), being a natural meeting point, a crossroads of traffic along the main communication routes of the central Mediterranean.Today, the ETRU, one of the most representative museums of Etruscan art, is housed in two splendid Renaissance villas: Villa Giulia, a museum since 1889, and Villa Poniatowski. The exhibits are displayed according to a topographical criterion, starting from the contexts of Vulci, Bisenzio, Veio and Cerveteri. Among the best known works are bronzes from Vulci, terracotta decorations from the Sanctuary of Portonaccio in Veio, including the famous Apollo (6th century B.C.), and the sarcophagus of the spouses from Cerveteri. The gold foils from Pyrgi (Santa Severa) with Etruscan and Phoenician inscriptions (from the late 6th century B.C.) and the high relief of the Fictile pediment, also from Pyrgi, with the myth of the "Seven against Thebes" (first half of the 5th century B.C.) are also noteworthy.Private collections, on the other hand, are organized according to typological criteria. Among the latter, the Barberini collection, the Pesciotti collection and the Castellani collection, which includes some very important pieces of jewelry for the study of Etruscan goldsmithing, are worthy of mention.Of great interest is the Falisco-Capenate section, which contains material from the centers of the middle Tiber Valley, such as Corchiano, Vignanello, Nepi, Narce and, in particular, Falerii Veteres (Civita Castellana), with terracotta sculptures, including the extraordinary Apollo dello Scasato, from the decorations of sanctuaries in the area.The museum offers numerous itineraries that also allow visitors to admire the underground rooms of the villa, such as the Nymphaeum, the remains of the Aqueduct of the Virgin (Augustan period) and the "neviera" of Pope Julius III.In addition, between 1889 and 1890, a life-size replica of the Temple of Alatri, an Etruscan-Italian temple dated between the 3rd and 2nd centuries B.C., was erected in the gardens of Villa Giulia.Villa Giulia, built by Pope Julius III, Giovanni Maria Ciocchi del Monte, between 1550 and 1555, is divided into two courtyards separated by a nymphaeum in whose construction great artists such as Giorgio Vasari, Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola, Bartolomeo Ammannati and Michelangelo Buonarroti participated. Part of the decoration is the work of Taddeo Zuccari and Prospero Fontana.The hemicycle is decorated with delicate pictorial interventions inspired by the grotesques of the Domus Aurea. The rooms contain an extraordinary cycle of frescoes depicting the Seven Hills of Rome.
Palazzo Carignano was built at the behest of Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy-Carignano, to a design by Guarino Guarini, who began construction in 1679. It is one of the most striking and imposing palaces of seventeenth-century Italy, with a curvaceous façade and cladding in simple bricks, precious and original. The building stands in the area used as stables by Prince Tommaso, progenitor of the Cadet branch of Savoy-Carignano, and originally had a C-shaped plan open to the gardens; the current quadrangular structure is due to the addition of the nineteenth-century building constructed to house the Italian Parliament and completed in 1871, after the capital was moved to Rome. The elliptical central hall is located in the 17th century part, formerly used for festivities, was transformed in 1848 into the hall of the First Subalpine Parliament; the palace houses in the rooms on the piano nobile the National Museum of the Italian Risorgimento and on the ground floor the apartments of the princes. With the 2011 exhibition dedicated to Legnanino, a stable tour of the Savoy-Carignano Residence was inaugurated. The itinerary of the museum, which covers an area of about 1,000 square meters, is made up of guided tours of the atrium and the Guarini staircase, with a view of the Hall of the Subalpine Parliament, the Midday Apartment, also known as the Princes' Apartment, a series of underground rooms, the exterior and the courtyard of the palace.
All these treasures are still heritage of the city today thanks to the fact that Palazzo Davanzati was spared from the destruction of the old center at the end of the 19th century. In 1904 it was bought by antiquarian Elia Volpi, who had it restored, becoming a prestigious showcase for his business.This palace represents a special bridge to the Middle Ages: its faux tapestries painted in geometric patterns are the symbol of the period's industriousness. Memorable are the four rooms with painted walls: the Chamber of the Peacocks, the Chamber of the Parrots, Chamber of the Fangs, and the Chamber of the Castellana of Vergy.
Explore travel itineraries created by weekend a firenze to inspire your next adventure.
