Rome's night tourism experiment offers lessons for Naples

Rome is testing a new approach to summer tourism this year: opening its museums, parks, archaeological sites, monuments, villas and historic residences at night, according to France 24. The initiative is a direct response to the recent heatwaves and the large crowds that saturate the capital's historic sites during the day, offering visitors a cooler and less congested way to experience the city's heritage.

The experiment, which France 24 described as a potential revolution in how the city manages tourism, comes as Italian destinations grapple with the twin pressures of record visitor numbers and a warming climate. By shifting some of the tourist flow into the evening hours, Rome hopes to relieve pressure on its most fragile monuments while giving visitors a different perspective on the city.

For Naples, the Roman experiment is being watched with interest. The southern city has its own crowded heritage sites — from the royal palace and Castel dell'Ovo to the underground tunnels and the nearby ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum — and faces the same summer challenges of heat and queues.