Hundreds of precious shuttered
cultural assets in Italy will be briefly opened to the public on
March 21 and 22, including the Italian premier's office, Palazzo
Chigi in Rome.
The exquisite 16th century palazzo is among more than 780
jewels of Italian artistic and architectural heritage allowing
exceptional public access for the Giornate FAI di Primavera (FAI
Spring Days), organized by the Italian heritage preservation
nonprofit Fondo Ambiente Italiano (FAI). The sites are scattered
across 340 locations throughout Italy.
In Milan, visitors will be able to visit the Pirelli
skyscraper, a wafer-shaped architectural landmark designed by
Gio Ponti and built in the 1950s, and peruse the Ricordi musical
archives, with original manuscripts penned by Italian composers
Puccini, Verdi, Bellini, Rossini and Donizetti.
In southern Italy, visitors will be able to admire the
baroque interior of the Cathedral of Matera, closed for the last
15 years for restoration; see Calabria's ancient Roman villa of
Casignana with its 25 rooms and large mosaic dedicated to
Dionysus; and enter the ducal palace of Sassuolo, a town in the
northern region of Emilia-Romagna.
"In 22 years, we have shown 8,500 (cultural) assets to
nearly eight million people: the Giornate FAI are the largest
cultural demonstration in the country," said Andrea Carandini,
president of FAI.
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