Beginning in June and running through mid-November 2025, the Museo dell’Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence is expanding its cultural offerings with a series of extraordinary openings, divided into two distinct phases: a summer program of evening visits every Friday and an autumn calendar of openings on Thursday afternoons. The initiative aims to make the museum’s holdings accessible at times other than regular hours, offering the public an opportunity to discover the institute’s collections and participate in guided tours led by restorers and experts from the Opificio.
In detail, the special evening openings will take place every Friday from June 6 to September 5, 2025, with hours from 7 to 11 p.m. The exception is the central weeks of August, during which the Museum will be closed. In the fall, however, from September 4 to November 13, the Museum will be open every Thursday afternoon from 2:00 to 6:00 pm. In both cases, the ticket office will close half an hour before the scheduled closing time.
The Museo dell’Opificio delle Pietre Dure, located at 78 Via degli Alfani, is closely linked to the historic Medici manufacture founded in 1588 by Ferdinando I de’ Medici and is now a point of reference for knowledge of artistic techniques related to the “commesso” in semi-precious stones. Attached to the institute of restoration of the same name, which houses prestigious workshops and the School of Higher Education and Study, the museum preserves and presents a heritage that illustrates more than four centuries of activity in the field of semi-precious stone work and the history of restoration in Italy. During the fall, in conjunction with Thursday afternoon openings, the public will be able to participate in free guided tours by Institute staff. The tours will be led by in-house restorers and specialists, who will accompany visitors in the exploration of the collections, illustrating the techniques of workmanship, the peculiarities of the works on display and the history of the Opificio. Visits will take place on an hourly basis, with groups of about 20 people. Reservations are not required: interested parties can apply directly on site, at the entrance of the Museum, subject to the availability of departing groups. An additional element of enrichment will be represented, starting in September, by a musical review in collaboration with the Luigi Cherubini Conservatory. The detailed schedule of events will be announced after the summer. Also being planned for the fall period are a number of appointments specifically dedicated to blind and visually impaired people. The tours will be designed and implemented by the Opificio’s in-house staff with the aim of offering an accessible and inclusive experience, in line with the most recent directives on the enjoyment of cultural heritage by audiences with special needs.
The special openings include access with the usual Museum entrance fee. The cost remains unchanged: 6 euros for the full ticket, 2 euros for the reduced one. Admission is free for eligible categories, as established by the Ministry of Culture. All information on concessions and free access is available on the Ministry’s official website(www.beniculturali.it/agevolazioni). As for guided tours, these will always be free and accessible directly on site. It will not be necessary to make advance reservations: visitors can ask to be included in the groups at the time of entry. Departures of the guided tours are scheduled approximately every hour, until all available places in the individual shifts are filled. The Museum’s ticket office, as per regulations, will close half an hour before closing time. The full schedule of special openings is as follows: for evening tours, the Museum will be open from 7 to 11 p.m. on June 6, 13, 20 and 27; July 4, 11, 18 and 26; August 1 and 29; and September 5. For Thursday afternoon openings from 2 to 6 p.m., the scheduled dates are September 4, 11, 18 and 25; October 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30; and November 6 and 13.
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| Special and evening openings at the Museo dell'Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence |
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