On the 5 th and 6 th of April, many Italian palaces, monuments and private collections, which are normally closed to the public, will open their doors to celebrate the annual spring festival of FAI (Fondo Italiano per l'Ambiente  Italian Foundation for the Environment).

Visitors will have this rare opportunity to see some 550 little known treasures in 240 different places distributed throughout the entire Italian peninsula, including the 16 th century Palazzo Farnese in Rome (seat of the French embassy), the historic Petruzzelli theatre of Bari, at present closed for restoration,  the late 18 th century Royal Palace of Monza and the Institute of Aeronautic Military Science in Florence, considered a jewel of Italian rationalism.

Over 18,000 volunteers have been recluted for the occasion to guide visitors around.