FAI Spring Days, kicking off the 2021 edition. Sammezzano Castle also open.

Exceptional opening for the Sammezzano Castle for the FAI Spring Days 2021. This is probably the most interesting aspect of the 2021 edition of one of the most eagerly awaited but also most talked-about events on the cultural heritage scene because of the habit of making heavy use of volunteers: at the moment, the visit to the Castle is not yet bookable, but the announcement of its opening was made this morning at the presentation press conference. This year, the event arrives on May 15 and 16 in about 600 places in 300 cities all over Italy: one of them is precisely Sammezzano Castle, whose opening has been guaranteed by the property for these two days. Opening their doors to the public more generally are historic palaces, villas and residences, parks and gardens, castles and monuments, archaeological areas, and botanical gardens. In many cases, the open properties offer guided tours by FAI volunteers.

There will also be 34 sites open in collaboration with the European Commission: these are places that have received European funding and will be open to the public during FAI Spring Days. These include the Borgo di Rocca di Botte (L’Aquila), the Grotta di Seiano (Naples), the Laos Archaeological Park, Villa Campolieto (Herculaneum), the Podere Case Lovara (Levanto), the Castello della Manta (Cuneo), the Abbey of Santa Maria di Cerrate (Lecce), the Bosco di San Francesco (Assisi), and the Museo Diocesano in Andria.

For participation, FAI - Fondo Ambiente Italiano, organizer of the Spring Days, requests a minimum contribution of 3 euros to support its activities. It will also be possible to sign up forannual membership. Since the Covid emergency is not over, visits will be made by mandatory reservation and with limited seating so as to ensure spacing. “During the visits,” the FAI informs, “it will be necessary to respect all the safety rules indicated in the information signs placed at the beginning of the routes: in fact, it is mandatory to maintain social distancing, avoid creating gatherings, wear a mask during the entire duration of the visit, disinfect hands with the special gels located along the route, and follow the directions given by the volunteer staff.”

“In 2021, FAI’s flagship event,” reads a note, “will also be a valuable opportunity to explain, through the careful choice of places and the narration of them, the Foundation’s new cultural vision (presented in March at the XXV National Convention of Delegates and Volunteers), which sees the Environment as an indissoluble intertwining of Nature and History and Culture as a synthesis of the human and natural sciences. And Italy, like no other country in the world, is rich in examples of how the harmonious co-evolution of Nature and Man has created unique landscapes.”

Pictured is the Sala dei Gigli at Sammezzano Castle (from Save Sammezzano website)

FAI Spring Days, kicking off the 2021 edition. Sammezzano Castle also open.

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