Thanks to Open House from May 16 to 24, everyone will have the chance to explore more than 200 historic and contemporary buildings in Rome.

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From 16 to 24 May, 2026, Open House Rome returns with nine days dedicated to architecture, design, and discovery. Visitors will have the rare opportunity to explore (for free) over 220 sites across the city, from contemporary architecture and historic landmarks to private homes, usually closed to the public.

The programme goes beyond guided visits, also featuring tours, events, educational activities inside some of , and urban walks through of particular architectural interest.

Bookings will open at 6pm on April 27. To take part, visitors must register on the event’s official website: some sites will be accessible by reservation, while others may have different access procedures depending on the visit.

Part of the international Open House network, which takes place in major cities around the world, Open House Roma invites both locals and visitors to experience the city through the lens of architecture, design, and innovation.

The program includes iconic places, such as cultural institutes, representative offices, and academies (the , the , …), museums, historic buildings, sites of scientific and cultural interest.

All sites can be visited by reservation through the event’s official website.

INSPIRATION

Largo delle Vittime del Terrorismo, 4
Max 60 people per visit – Duration: 75 min
English tour: Sunday 24th at 3pm

Since its founding in 1945 FAO has set itself the goal of ending hunger, achieving food security for all and improving nutrition, promoting sustainable agriculture. The FAO headquarters is housed in a complex of buildings designed in 1938 by Vittorio Cafiero and Mario Ridolfi. The tour includes a visit to the Organization’s most important and emblematic rooms and the evocative panoramic terrace; the tour concludes with a self-guided visit to FAO MuNe, where visitors can explore the artistic and cultural collection. 

Via XX Settembre, 20
Max 25 people per visit – Duration: 45 min
English Tour: 16 May at 4:15 p.m.

The Palazzo dell’Agricoltura, built at the beginning of the ‘900s, between the height of the Belle Epoque and the outbreak of the Great War, testifies to the fervor that in those years brought architects, engineers, artists, and workers around the construction of the Ministry: all involved in presenting the new capital of the Kingdom, a city that finally aspired to modernity. The building houses the National Historical Library of Agriculture and, recently installed, the new museum area dedicated to the renowned wheat geneticist Nazareno Strampelli.

Piazza del Grillo, 1
Max 30 people per visit – Duration: 50 min.
English Tour: 23 May at 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Palazzo INAIL, designed by Armando Brasini and Guido Zevi, is a monumental setting on Via IV Novembre, resolving, through its base and a system of stairs harmoniously integrated into the interior spaces, the difference in height between the entrance and the Quirinale Hill. Brasini, an eclectic figure linked to the Roman construction tradition, works ornamentation as an intrinsic part of his architecture and forges it until it becomes a refined connection between the wall mass and the space.

Via Ludovisi, 48
Max 15 people per visit – Duration: 60 min
English Tour at 2 p.m.

Villa Maraini, a jewel of early 20th-century Rome, is currently home to the Swiss Institute in Rome; it was built for Emilio Maraini, a highly successful Swiss industrialist. It stands on an artificial hill and is surrounded by a beautiful garden. From its characteristic belvedere tower, just a few meters below the dome of St. Peter’s in the Vatican, you can enjoy a splendid panoramic view of all of Rome. 

Via XX Settembre, 97
Max 25 people per visit – duration: 60 min
English Tour at 10:15 and 11:45 a.m.

The Palazzo delle Finanze, commissioned by Quintino Sella and designed by Raffaele Canevari, is the first major construction in Rome, the capital of the Kingdom of Italy. The historical-artistic itinerary includes: a Renaissance-style quadriportico; a historical library with volumes from the pre-unification states; the Sala Azzurra with its decorated coffered ceiling; the Sala del Parlamentino; the Sala Ciampi, formerly the Hall of the Majority, where the first Councils of Ministers were held; and the Sala dei Bronzi, with four sculptures by Giovan Battista Foggini. Also included in the visit are the Treasury Department Library, the multifunctional hub of the Department of General Accounting of the State with the Luca Pacioli Library and the Treasury Information Pool area.

Via Angelo Masina, 5
Max 25 people per visit – Duration: 45 min
Information in English available on request

The American Academy in Rome, founded in 1894, supports the work of innovative artists, writers, and scholars who live and work together within a dynamic international community. The main building, designed by McKim, Mead & White and completed in 1914, is the structural heart and soul of the Academy: inside are the living quarters, studios, a gallery for temporary exhibitions, administrative offices and a library with a first-rate research centre. The Academy offers a wide range of academic, artistic and cultural events each year, free of charge and open to the public.

Piazza Martin Lutero
Max 25 people per visit – Duration: 90 min
English tour

Walking through Colle Oppio Park, one of the most interesting green areas in our city, children will observe numerous archaeological remains, using an art map designed by ARTandSEEK as the basis of their project, divided into two phases: the first phase involves observing the archaeological remains and finding shapes to identify on the map; during the second phase, children will transform the map into an individual artistic creation.
The workshop is conducted entirely in English with help for children who are learning the language. The educational method is based on open-ended questions and constant interaction of children with the group and the guide.

Via Eudossiana, 18
Max 25 people per visit – duration: 80 min
Information in English available on request

The first school for the professional training of engineering was born in Rome thanks to Pope Pius VII (1817). In 1935 the school became the Faculty of Engineering, moving in 1873 to the premises of the convent of the Lateran Canons, annexed to the church of San Pietro in Vincoli. In 1918 Professor. Milani designs the complex we admire today according to the block typology with four internal courtyards. Noteworthy are the State Rooms, one of which is entirely frescoed, used for events and conferences, and the splendid Boaga Library, developed on two levels, which hosts thousands of students every day as well as a considerable number of specialist volumes.

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