Italy is raising the price of museum tickets by €1, with proceeds going towards saving cultural heritage damaged by floods in the Emilia-Romagna region.
The measure was announced by the Italian government as part of a €2 billion aid package.
Proposed by Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano, the price hike will apply to all state-run museums from 15 June for a two-month period.
The decision has split opinion in Italy. While some have supported the government’s decisiveness, others have raised concern it will deter the public from visiting museums.
According to ISTAT statistics agency, fewer than a quarter of Italians visited a museum in 2022.
Also last week, Italian Culture Ministry Undersecretary Lucia Borgonzoni said the Culture Ministry has made €2.5m available to help protect cultural heritage, and will further invest another €6m.