Rome tests night-time tourism to beat heat and crowds

Rome is testing a new approach to managing its summer tourist crush: opening the city's historic sites at night. According to France 24, the pilot programme includes museums, parks, archaeological sites, monuments, villas and historic residences, a departure from the usual daytime-only schedule that has struggled to cope with record visitor numbers.

The initiative comes as the Italian capital contends with two pressures at once — the recent heatwaves that have made daytime sightseeing uncomfortable and even hazardous, and the sheer volume of visitors that saturates the most famous landmarks from morning until evening. Night openings shift some of that demand into cooler, less crowded hours.