by Will you have to pay more to visit Italy’s iconic sights in 2023?
Italy’s culture minister has proposed raising entrance fees to the country’s famous sites, saying the “average American family” can afford it.
It comes after Florence’s Uffizi announced this week that it is introducing high-season ticket prices.
But the idea of increasing entrance fees to cultural attractions has angered Italians.
So will you have to pay more to visit Italy’s iconic sights in 2023?
How much is the Uffizi ticket?
On Tuesday, the Uffizi Gallery in Florence announced that it is increasing its basic high-season ticket price.
The entrance ticket has increased from €20 ($21.70) to €25 ($27.10) per person.
The renowned museum said the price increase was necessary to compensate for rising energy and construction costs.
Visitors must pay high season prices to see the famous collection of paintings and sculptures from 1 March to 30 November.
Other ticket prices – including low season and membership cards – have not been increased.
Can you get discounted Uffizi tickets?
While the Uffizi collection is one of the most excellent in the world, many visitors may struggle to pay the increased ticket price.
But if you go to the gallery before 8.55am, you can join the queue for cheaper early bird tickets.
These will cost you €19 ($26.60).
Will you have to pay more for Italy’s attractions in 2023?
During the announcement to raise the ticket prices, the Uffizi’s management stated that most single tickets were bought by foreign visitors.
Later, Italy’s Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano told the press that he considered the Uffizi price increase to be fair and “in line with European standards”.
He also singled out American tourists, arguing that they could afford to pay more to visit Italy’s cultural attractions.
“After all, the average American family that comes to Italy spends 10 to 20 thousand dollars because of the cost of flights and hotels,” he said.
“So paying €20 for a ticket to see a unique site like Pompeii can also be done.”
Sangiuliano’s interview with journalists spread across social media leading to protests from Italian users.
“Italian public museums are for us, not for foreign tourists, minister,” said one Twitter commenter, while another lamented that cultural sites “are becoming resorts.”
Do you have to pay to visit the Pantheon?
Since being appointed to the role in October, Sangiuliano has also proposed reintroducing a controversial entrance fee for the Pantheon in Rome.
The plan would see a €2 charge for admission, an idea that was already proposed and vetoed in 2018.
The ancient Roman building is currently free to visit, but the proposed entrance fee is still under discussion.
Sangiuliano claims Italy’s entrance fees are low compared to other European countries, citing the €14 ($15.20) entrance fee to visit Napoleon’s tomb in Paris or the €25 ($27.10) ticket to Westminster Abbey in London.
