Tomorrow — Thursday 1 October 2026 — all branches of the Gallerie d’Italia will open their doors for free as part of the 20th edition of Invito a Palazzo. The initiative, run by the Intesa Sanpaolo banking group, opens historic bank palaces and their associated art collections to the public without charge, and this year marks two decades of the programme with extended programming and guided itineraries at each venue.
What Opens and Where
The Gallerie d’Italia has four main venues, each worth a visit in its own right:
Milan — The flagship gallery on Piazza Scala houses Neoclassical and Romantic Italian painting alongside contemporary photography. The palace itself, a 19th-century Milanese institution, is part of the experience. For those already planning time in Milan, tomorrow is a particularly good day to visit.
Naples — The Gallerie d’Italia Napoli occupies the recently restored Palazzo Zevallos Stigliano on Via Toledo, one of the city’s great Baroque buildings. The permanent collection includes Caravaggio’s Martyrdom of Saint Ursula, his final documented painting. If you are in Naples this week, this is not to be missed without charge.
Vicenza — Palazzo Leoni Montanari holds an exceptional collection of Venetian paintings and Russian icons in a lavishly decorated interior.
Turin and Arezzo also participate, alongside dozens of other historic financial institutions and private palaces that open to the public for the day only.
What to Expect
Free entry does not mean uncrowded. The Milan and Naples venues in particular attract long queues on Invito a Palazzo day. Online pre-registration (available on the Gallerie d’Italia website until midnight tonight) is strongly recommended — registered visitors get a timed entry window, unregistered visitors queue on the day.
Guided tours in Italian run throughout the day at all venues; check the Gallerie d’Italia site for English-language timings.
Getting There
All four main venues sit in city centres and are easily accessible by public transport. The Milan gallery is a ten-minute walk from the Duomo; the Naples branch is on Via Toledo, one of the city’s main pedestrian arteries.
For a broader look at what October offers across Italy — including weather, festivals, and regional events — see our Italy in October guide.