On Sunday, March 8, International Women’s Day, state-owned museums, archaeological parks, monumental complexes, castles, historic villas, and gardens across Italy open their doors free of charge for all women.
In Tuscany, the celebration goes well beyond free admission — dozens of cultural venues have organized special guided tours, exhibitions, and events dedicated to the female universe. Here’s everything happening across the region.
Table of Contents
Florence: Renaissance Masterpieces and Medici Villas
Florence pulls out all the stops for Women’s Day. The Galleria dell’Accademia — home to Michelangelo’s David — offers free entry to all female visitors, as do the Museo Nazionale del Bargello, the Museo delle Cappelle Medicee, and the Complesso di Orsanmichele.
At the Museo di San Marco, visitors can immerse themselves in one of the most extraordinary Renaissance fresco cycles ever created — Beato Angelico’s breathtaking frescoes painted for the Dominican convent, following the record-breaking success of a recent dedicated exhibition that drew over 100,000 visitors to the site. The Museo Archeologico Nazionale and the Cenacolo di Andrea del Sarto a San Salvi are also open.
Read also: The Woman Behind the Genius: The Life of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mother
For outdoor lovers, the Villa Medicea della Petraia, the Giardino della Villa Medicea di Castello, and the Parco di Villa il Ventaglio all offer free admission for women. At the Villa Medicea di Cerreto Guidi, the day is particularly special: an exhibition of historical documents and photographs honors Nada Parri, a key figure of the Italian Resistance and the municipality’s first female mayor, alongside thematic guided tours exploring the women of the House of Medici at 9 AM, 10 AM, 11 AM, 12 PM, 3 PM, and 4 PM.
| Venue | Address | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Galleria dell’Accademia | Via Ricasoli, 58 | 8:15 AM–6:50 PM |
| Museo Nazionale del Bargello | Via del Proconsolo, 4 | 8:15 AM–1:50 PM |
| Museo delle Cappelle Medicee | Piazza Madonna degli Aldobrandini | 8:15 AM–6:50 PM |
| Complesso di Orsanmichele | Via dell’Arte della Lana | 8:30 AM–6:30 PM |
| Museo Archeologico Nazionale | Via della Colonna, 38 | 8:30 AM–2 PM |
| Museo di San Marco | Piazza San Marco, 3 | 8:30 AM–1:50 PM |
| Cenacolo di Andrea del Sarto | Via di San Salvi, 16 | 8:30 AM–1:50 PM |
| Parco di Villa il Ventaglio | Via Giovanni Aldini, 10/12 | 8:15 AM–5:30 PM |
| Giardino Villa Medicea di Castello | Via di Castello, 47 | 8:30 AM–6:30 PM |
| Villa Medicea della Petraia | Via della Petraia, 40 | 8:30 AM–4:30 PM |
| Villa Medicea di Cerreto Guidi | Via Ponti Medicei, 7 | 8:30 AM–1:00 PM // 3:00PM–6:30PM |
Weather notice: In case of yellow, orange, or red weather alerts, outdoor parks, gardens, and open-air sites may be closed to the public for safety reasons.
Prato: “Women in the Villa” at Poggio a Caiano
At the stunning Villa Medicea di Poggio a Caiano, the museum staff will lead two special thematic guided tours titled “Donne in Villa. Queste ninfe e altre genti” (“Women in the Villa”) at 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
The itinerary weaves through centuries of female history connected to this place: from the allegorical figures of Ambra and Pomona, symbols of nature and the Tuscan landscape, to the eventful lives of Medici Grand Duchesses, and onto Elisa Baciocchi and Rosa Vercellana. The tour concludes with an iconographic reading of the figures of Mary and Elizabeth as depicted in Pontormo’s Visitation, currently on temporary display on the piano nobile of the building.
| Venue | Address | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Villa Medicea di Poggio a Caiano (Park) | Piazza de’ Medici, 14 | CLOSED |
| Villa & monumental apartments | (reservation required +39 055 877012) | Hourly visits, 8:30 AM–3:30 PM |
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Arezzo: Minerva Comes Home
In Arezzo, the Museo Archeologico Nazionale “Gaio Cilnio Mecenate” is open with the recently inaugurated exhibition “La Minerva di Arezzo. Una storia di comunità ritrovata” (The Minerva of Arezzo: A Rediscovered Community Story). The famous bronze sculpture — unearthed in Arezzo in 1541, immediately gifted to Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici, and displayed since 1871 at the National Archaeological Museum in Florence — is now showcased in one of the most evocative rooms of the Arezzo museum, presented through an immersive narrative tracing its discovery, Florentine collecting history, and complex conservation journey. Also open: the Museo di Casa Vasari, the Basilica di San Francesco, and the Museo Nazionale d’Arte Medievale e Moderna.
| Venue | Address | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Museo Arch. “Gaio Cilnio Mecenate” | Via Margaritone, 10 | 9 AM–2 PM |
| Basilica di San Francesco | Piazza San Francesco, 1 | 1 PM–5:30 PM |
| Museo di Casa Vasari | Via XX Settembre, 55 | 8:30 AM–1:30 PM |
| Museo Naz. Arte Medievale e Moderna | Via San Lorentino, 8 | 8:30 AM–1:30 PM |
Grosseto: Archaeology and a Solidarity Walk
In the Grosseto area, the Maremma Archaeological Parks of Cosa, Roselle, and Vetulonia are all open (note: the Museo Nazionale di Cosa is temporarily closed for maintenance, but the archaeological park remains accessible). At the Parco Archeologico di Cosa, a free guided visit begins at 9:30 AM, organized in partnership with the cultural association “Insieme in Rosa”, which runs cancer prevention and awareness campaigns. After the tour, visitors can join a metabolic walk with wireless earphones and trainer-led exercises — sportswear and a water bottle are recommended. The event raises funds to purchase a fiducial marker for the radiotherapy department of the Misericordia Hospital in Grosseto. Additional free guided visits run from 3 PM to 5 PM at Cosa, and at 10:15 AM at Roselle (free entry for women).
| Venue | Address | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Area Archeologica di Roselle | Via dei Ruderi s.n.c., Grosseto | 8:15 AM–5:15 PM |
| Area Archeologica di Vetulonia | Castiglione della Pescaia | 8:30 AM–4:30 PM |
| Parco Arch. di Cosa (museum closed) | Via delle Ginestre, Orbetello | 8:30 AM–5:00 PM |
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Lucca: The King’s Painter
In Lucca, the Museo Nazionale di Palazzo Mansi and the Museo Nazionale di Villa Guinigi are hosting the exhibition “Il pittore del Re. Luigi Norfini nell’Italia del Risorgimento” (The King’s Painter: Luigi Norfini in Risorgimento Italy) — the first major monographic show dedicated to Luigi Norfini (Pescia, 1825 – Lucca, 1909), timed to coincide with the bicentennial of his birth. Both museums are open from 12 PM to 7:30 PM (last entry at 6 PM).
Pisa: Ancient Ships and a Monumental Charterhouse
Pisa offers three compelling venues for Women’s Day. The Museo delle Navi Antiche displays the extraordinary ancient Roman ships discovered during excavations in the city. The Museo Nazionale di San Matteo houses one of Tuscany’s finest collections of medieval and Renaissance art. The Certosa Monumentale di Calci — a magnificent monumental charterhouse — requires advance booking (call +39 324 0018050); access to the Corte d’Onore and church is free for women, while the full itinerary requires a paid guided tour.
| Venue | Address | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Museo Nazionale di San Matteo | Piazza San Matteo in Soarta | 9 AM–1:30 PM |
| Museo delle Navi Antiche | Lungarno Ranieri Simonelli, 16 | 2 PM–7:30 PM |
| Certosa di Calci (reservation required +39 050 938430) | Via Roma, 79 – Calci | From 9 AM |
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Pistoia: Always Free
In Pistoia, three venues are always free year-round and remain so on Women’s Day: the Fortezza di Santa Barbara, the ex-Chiesa del Tau, and the Oratorio di San Desiderio. The Fortezza requires no reservation, while the Tau and Oratorio require advance booking. All three are open from 8:30 AM to 1:30 PM.
Siena Province: Medieval Women’s Voices
At the Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Chiusi, on March 8 at 11:30 AM, scholar Giulia Previti will deliver the lecture “Raccontare la quotidianità femminile nel Medioevo attraverso l’archeologia” (Telling Women’s Everyday Life in the Middle Ages Through Archaeology). Through material evidence — spindle whorls, ceramic remains, and scientific analysis of skeletal remains — the researcher reconstructs the work, daily gestures, and identity of medieval women who have largely been forgotten by history, turning artifacts into genuine female biographies. The museum is open from 8:30 AM to 2 PM (Via Porsenna, 93 – Chiusi).
Read also: The Etruscans, Unraveling the Mysteries of Ancient Italy
Livorno Province: Napoleon’s Island
In the Livorno area, the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Castiglioncello (always free, open 10:30 AM–12:30 PM) and the Museo Nazionale delle Residenze Napoleoniche – Villa San Martino on the island of Elba in Portoferraio (9 AM–1:30 PM) are both participating in the initiative.
Planning your visit? Many venues have limited capacity and require advance reservations — always check before heading out. For the full national list of participating cultural sites, visit the official Italian Ministry of Culture website. Visit also this page.
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