It’s called “March 8 at the Museum”, the initiative launched by the Ministry of Culture on the occasion of International Women’s Day.
On the proposal of the Minister of Culture, Gennaro Sangiuliano, on Wednesday 8 March admission for women to museums, archaeological parks, monumental complexes, castles, villas and historic gardens and other state places of culture is free.
Also in Sicily, the Regional Department of Cultural Heritage and Sicilian Identity adheres to the initiative with various appointments and guided tours and other themed initiatives aimed at making visitors and museum audiences aware of the cultural importance of the Day.
The list of appointments is published on the Ministry’s dedicated page and is constantly updated. For more details, we advise you to inquire about any reservations, shifts and opening hours directly with the place of your interest.
Here are the places that we think are a must visit:
Read also: The 7 Most Instagrammable Places Of Palermo
Quick Sicily Travel Guide
Sicily Accommodation: San Domenico Palace and Grand Hotel Timeo for luxury accommodation in Taormina, and Casa Nostra Boutique Hotel or Palazzo Natoli Boutique Hotel for intimate vibes in Palermo. Dome or B&B Oriental Palace in Catania. Room Of Andrea Hotel or Gaura Apartments in Trapani. Le Tre Campane Ortigia or Palazzo Alfeo Aparthotel in Syracuse. Principe Di Salina Boutique Hotel or Il Gabbiano Relais in Stromboli on the Aeolian Islands.
Top Sicily Activities:
- Palermo street food walking tour
- Etna, wine and Alcantara tour from Taormina
- Boat tour to Favignana and Levanzo from Trapani
- Private tour of 3 Etna wineries with food and wine tasting
- Travel photoshoot in Palermo
- Quad excursion from Ribera
Places you can visit for free in Palermo
In Palermo, admission is free to the “Antonino Salinas” Regional Archaeological Museum, which has one of the richest archaeological collections in Italy, evidence of Sicilian history in all its phases ranging from prehistory to the Middle Ages.
And on the occasion of 8 March, Coopculture is organizing a special guided tour at the Salinas linked to the female figures of the oldest museum in Sicily.
Not to be missed is a visit to the Regional Gallery of Palazzo Abatellis, one of the most prestigious Italian museums. Palazzo Mirto, whose interior is furnished with walls covered with silk panels, majestic tapestries, curtains and numerous works of art, which amaze for the whimsical and almost rococo charm of the furnishings.
Also open is the Museo Riso, a regional pole dedicated to contemporary art which houses “Percorsi di memoria”, a collection that is linked to the first nucleus of the permanent collection of the regional museum of Palermo.
Tickets can be purchased online on the Coopculture website. Info on 091 587717 or 091 320532 or by mail at [email protected]
March 8 is also an opportunity to visit Monreale, the cloister belonging to the complex of the Benedictine abbey of Santa Maria la Nuova, founded in 1174 at the behest of the Norman king William II and which acts as the pivot of the whole abbey complex develop around it.
Places you can visit for free in Agrigento
In Agrigento, one cannot fail to mention among the various sites the Archaeological Park of the Valley of the Temples, one of the most beautiful archaeological areas in Italy, as well as the largest in the world, truly a magical place.
Also noteworthy is the opening of the archaeological area and Antiquarium of Eraclea Minoa, which offers an exceptional panorama: on one side the blue arch of the gulf and on the other the white rocks of Capo Bianco overhanging the sea.
Places you can visit for free in Syracuse
A visit to the archaeological area of Neapolis is certainly worthwhile, a natural area full of archaeological finds belonging to several eras of Syracusan history.
Places you can visit for free in Ragusa
The archaeological area of Cava d’Ispica, the valley, immersed in the typical vegetation of the Mediterranean maquis, holds prehistoric necropolises, Christian catacombs, rock oratories, monastic hermitages and residential areas of various types.
But also the Parco Forza archaeological area, the Convent of the Cross in Scicli and the Regional Museum of Ragusa.
Places you can visit for free in Trapani and in the surroundings
The Segesta Archaeological Park is one of the main archaeological parks in Sicily. The foundation date of the ancient city is not known even if the area was already inhabited in the 11th century BC. According to the Greek historian Thucydides, the city was founded by the Elimi, a people of Trojan origin who reached Sicily across the Mediterranean.
In the province of Trapani, do not miss the exhibition “Ars Aedificandi. Il cantiere nel mondo classico” which takes place between Cave di Cusa and the Selinunte Archaeological Park. The exhibition can be visited every day from 9.00 to 18.00 (from 1 to 26 March).
In Marsala, the “Lilibeo” Regional Archaeological Museum and the contiguous Capo Boeo archaeological area. But also the Satyr Museum in Mazara del Vallo. The Grifeo Castle in Partanna and also the former Florio factory in Favignana.
Places you can visit for free in Enna and in the surroundings
Do not miss the Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina, a late antique residential building, popularly defined as a villa despite not having the characteristics of an extra-urban Roman villa but rather of an imperial urban palace, the remains of which are located about four kilometers from Piazza Armerina. Since 1997 it has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Also noteworthy are the archaeological area of Morgantina and the Museum of Aidone.
Places you can visit for free in Caltanissetta and in the surroundings
Not to be missed in the province of Caltanissetta are visits to the Archaeological Park of Gela, which includes, among others, the archaeological area of the Timpoleonean walls of Gela, the acropolis of Molino a vento of Gela, the archaeological area of Bosco Littorio and again the archaeological museum of Marianopoli, the mining complex of Trabia Tallarita.
Places you can visit for free in Taormina
In Taormina the Ancient Theater and Palazzo Ciampoli are open (entrance is always free) for the exhibition of watercolors “Teatròs” by the Spanish master Pedro Cano. The Museum and the archaeological area are open in Giardini Naxos.
All sites have winter opening hours with visits from 9.00 to 16.00 (last admission).
We remind you that the regional naturalistic museum of Isola Bella is currently closed for extraordinary works, while Villa Caronia (administrative headquarters of the park) can always be visited free of charge, from Monday to Friday.
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