Invito a Palazzo

Invito a Palazzo in Rome

Just one day a year, on the first Saturday of October, major banks and banking foundations throw open the doors of their historic headquarters to welcome citizens and tourists free of charge. This is Invito a Palazzo, an event that invites the public inside buildings that are usually closed to the public as they serve as workplaces, offering a chance to discover frescoes, monumental halls, sculptures, period furnishings, and significant art collections. In Rome, the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital and the Lazio region, the initiative finds one of its most spectacular showcases.

Palaces usually closed, open for one day

The heart of the day lies in the free guided tours: at participating locations, staff and guides accompany visitors through grand staircases, reception halls, and historic vaults, sharing the history of the buildings and the works preserved within. Many of these palaces, overlooking the streets of the city center, are masterpieces of civil architecture housing ancient and modern paintings that are rarely accessible to the general public.

A project by ABI and ACRI

Invito a Palazzo is promoted by the Italian Banking Association (ABI), in collaboration with ACRI, the association of banking foundations. The event is held under the High Patronage of the President of the Republic and with the support of the Italian National Commission for UNESCO and the Ministry of Culture. Established in 2002, it has involved dozens of cities and over a hundred palaces across Italy over the years, with the goal of returning a often little-known artistic heritage to the community.

Rome, capital of banking palaces

The historic center of Rome hosts the highest concentration of visitable sites: noble residences and nineteenth-century palaces transformed into corporate headquarters house valuable art galleries, sculptures, and decorative features. Among the venues that have participated in the event over the years are, for example, Palazzo Rondinini, overlooking Via del Corso, and the Monte dei Pegni, the historic UniCredit headquarters in Piazza del Monte di Pietà, whose eighteenth-century Cappella dei Marmi can be visited specifically during Invito a Palazzo. The complete list of open Roman palaces is released each year as the event approaches.

More than just a day: the digital extension

After the day of open doors, the experience continues online for several days with virtual tours, videos, live streams, and podcasts published on the portals of the banks and foundations, as well as on the official event website and Muvir, the virtual museum of Italian banks. It is a way to continue exploring these palaces from a distance, well beyond the boundaries of a single day.