European Night of Museums 2026

Saturday, May 23, 2026, marks the return of European Museum Night, an initiative promoted by the French Ministry of Culture and supported by UNESCO, the Council of Europe, and ICOM, which takes place simultaneously across Europe with the aim of encouraging and promoting awareness of national and European cultural heritage and identity.

The Ministry of Culture is participating in the event again this year—now in its 20th edition—with evening openings of state-run museums and cultural sites for a symbolic fee of 1 euro (except for those admitted free of charge as required by law).

These special openings will be complemented by events and initiatives organized in collaboration with local organizations and associations, with the aim of showcasing the institutes’ activities and promoting awareness of cultural heritage in a particularly evocative setting.

The following will be open under the Regional Directorate of National Museums of Lazio:

-The National Archaeological Museum of Formia from8:30 PM to 11:30 PM (last admission at 11:00 PM)
2000 YEARS AND STILL GOING STRONG
Curious onlookers and humorous tourists at the National Archaeological Museum of Formia

What happens when the curious gaze of young people meets the solemnity of history?
For European Museum Night, students from classes 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, and 2B at the I.C. Alighieri in Formia-Ventotene transform the archaeological museum into a stage for the imagination, giving voice to the city’s treasures.
Through short theatrical sketches, the students reveal the human side of the solemn statues preserved in the museum’s halls: minor ailments of millennia-old marble, bickering among illustrious busts, and the eternal patience with which they endure the most daring tourists. A brilliant and surprising journey, where history is infused with the irony and vitality of the younger generations.
The initiative is part of the school’s “Put the Museum to the Test” project and is an integral part of the Civic Education curriculum.

-The National Etruscan Museum of Rocca Albornoz in Viterbo from7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. (last admission at 10:30 p.m.).