FAI’s Spring Days Draws 400,000 Visitors to Italy’s Cultural Sites
Rome: Over 400,000 visitors flocked to explore 750 artistic and environmental sites across 400 areas during the 33rd edition of the Spring Days, organized by the Italian Environmental Fund (FAI) over the weekend. This event, marking FAI’s 50th anniversary, remains the most significant initiative by the association, focused on the restoration and preservation of Italy’s cultural and landscape heritage.
According to Ansa News Agency, the Spring Days, an annual celebration since 1993, took place on March 22-23, attracting thousands despite inclement weather affecting several regions in Italy. Numerous sites, typically closed to the public or less known, opened their doors, facilitated by volunteers from 350 FAI Delegations and Groups. Young students also contributed as guides during the event.
Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara was among the notable attendees, visiting Milan’s historic Palazzo Clerici. The most frequented site was the 13th-century Certosa di Parma, followed by Palazzo Clerici in Milan and the Mausoleum Schilizzi in Naples. Villa Necchi Campiglio in Milan was the most popular among sites usually open to the public.
The event’s itineraries included a wide range of sites, from the contemporary Libeskind Tower in Milan to the Svevo Castle in Brindisi, Turin’s Royal Palace, Rome’s Palazzo Farnese, and Villa Rosebery in Naples. Additionally, visitors explored the village of Loreto Aprutino in Abruzzo and Sicily’s Gibellina, the designated Italian Capital of Contemporary Art in 2026.
Naturalistic tours highlighted landscapes such as Umbria’s Gola del Bottaccione and the Calanchi di Alianello in Aliano, near Matera.