After nearly three months of closure, Rome's Vatican Museums, the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill are some of the big tourist attractions that re-opened to the public on Monday.
The number of visitors at any one time is still restricted, and the sites are only open on weekdays during curfew hours, but for Italians it is a sign of the beginning of a return to normal.
Live concert from the Colosseum Arena ⤵️https://t.co/nLouPwIcEy#museiaperti #RipARTIamo pic.twitter.com/4pcPj2g1um
— Parco Colosseo (@ParcoColosseo) February 1, 2021
To celebrate the reopening of the Colosseum from 10.30am to 4.30pm, a special concert was held by the students of the Academy of St Cecilia in the arena of the ancient Roman amphitheatre.
The Archaeological Park of the Colosseum called its reopening a “sign of hope” and said that “visitors will again be able to enjoy a walk through history”.
Vatican Museums reopen today with advance booking required. Unlike museums in Italy's yellow zones, which are only allowed to open from Monday to Friday, the Vatican Museums will return to its usual timetable of Monday to Saturday, from 08.30 to 18.30.https://t.co/s2wSXBeX4a
— Romeing (@romeing) February 1, 2021
Local tourists
It will be a long time before the large crowds of the past will be seen again and certainly not until the Covid-19 emergency is well under control.
In the meantime, as limitations continue for travel between different regions in Italy, with the exception of people with work or health commitments or emergencies, visitors are likely to be mostly locals.
As in all countries, Italy's culture, entertainment and hospitality sectors will take some time to recover from the huge losses caused by the prolonged Covid-19 crisis. Some businesses may never recover at all.
Venice was to have started its Carnival celebrations over the weekend, but all events and parties have been cancelled for the next two weeks.
Masks this year in the lagoon city are being worn for protection rather than amusement. And the gondolas that normally would have taken part in the Carnival parade along the city’s canals are firmly tied to their docks.
The Venice Carnival last year was closed three days after it opened due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Italy has so far logged more than 88,000 deaths from Covid-19 and more than 2.5 million infections.
