On March 21 and 22, the FAI Spring Days return, the annual event that opens hundreds of normally closed sites across Italy to the public. For one weekend, historic palaces, infrastructure, modern architecture, and industrial sites become accessible thanks to the work of FAI – Fondo Ambiente Italiano – and the collaboration of public institutions and private organizations.
FAI spring days 2026: ten buildings to visit on March 21 and 22
On March 21 and 22, Fai Days of Spring return: hundreds of normally inaccessible places open to the public throughout Italy. Among them, Domus has selected ten modern and contemporary buildings particularly interesting for architecture enthusiasts.
This monastery is a prime example of Sicilian Baroque religious architecture. Founded in the 17th century, the complex centres around a cloister surrounded by courtyards, loggias, and convent rooms which still contain original frescoes and stucco decorations. Visitors can explore the cells, refectory and library, gaining an insight into daily monastic life and the relationship between architecture and landscape.
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- La redazione di Domus
- 09 March 2026
In 2026 the event reaches its 34th edition: 780 venues in more than 400 cities will be open, many of them rarely visited. These include buildings signed by architects such as Gio Ponti, Daniel Libeskind and Carlo Scarpa, along with modernist structures and infrastructures that tell the story of the transformation of the Italian landscape between the 20th century and contemporary times.
The initiative represents the most visible expression of FAI’s work, alongside the year-round opening of 75 properties owned by the foundation. Among the most visited are Piero Portaluppi’s Villa Necchi Campiglio in Milan, which this year also hosted Casa Corea for the Milan-Cortina Olympics, and the Brion Memorial in San Vito d’Altivole, where construction work has just begun on the new Brion Pavilion, designed by Michele De Lucchi's studio. Generally, visits during Fai Days are conducted through a free contribution, but for some places, reservations or a foundation card are required.
In major cities, some extraordinary openings are made possible through collaboration with public institutions and private companies. RAI, for example, will open the studios on Corso Sempione in Milan, designed by Gio Ponti, while in Turin and Rome the broadcaster's historic venues on which Carlo Mollino and Paolo Portoghesi worked, respectively, will be open for visits. Among the special itineraries of the 2026 edition is also an itinerary dedicated to the 800th anniversary of the death of Francis of Assisi, with openings distributed in eight Italian regions, including of course Umbria.
Along with historic buildings and religious complexes, the program includes visits to scientific research centers, factories, theaters and industrial architecture. In this very rich list of places, Domus has selected ten particularly interesting addresses for architecture enthusiasts, from the rationalism of the 1930s to contemporary skyscrapers.
When are the FAI Spring Days 2026?
FAI Spring Days 2026 will take place on Saturday, March 21, and Sunday, March 22, with special openings across hundreds of Italian cities.
How many sites can be visited during the FAI Days?
In 2026, around 780 sites in over 400 Italian cities will be open, many of which are usually not accessible to the public.
Do I need to book to visit FAI sites?
Many sites can be visited with a voluntary donation, but for some openings, online booking or FAI membership is required.
Where can I find the full program of the FAI Days?
The complete list of sites and participation details are available on the official website of the Fondo Ambiente Italiano (FAI).
Designed by architect Francesco Leoni and engineer Carlo Liguori and built between 1938 and 1939, the building originally served as a seaside holiday camp for boys and girls from all over Italy during the summer. Its distinctive aeroplane-shaped layout was designed to pay homage to Gabriele d'Annunzio's 'Impresa di Fiume' (Fiumian Expedition). Converted into a hospital during the Second World War, it was later returned to its original use as a holiday camp before becoming the focus of a major restoration project that will transform it into the headquarters of the University of Chieti-Pescara's laboratories. Entrance reserved for FAI members.
This modernist landmark, a reinforced concrete water pump, is located in the Terralba Plain in Sardinia, which was reclaimed in the 1930s. The area was transformed from marshland into fertile farmland, and this building, designed by the engineer Flavio Scano, has become one of its symbols. The measured gestures of the cornices accentuate the curved and asymmetrical straight lines of the complex, in which elements of rationalism and futurist influences can be recognised. The guided tour organised by FAI is a unique opportunity to visit the building, which is usually off limits, and which is still in use today.
While Villa Necchi Campiglio is one of FAI’s most famous properties in Milan, the villa that Piero Portaluppi designed for his sister in the Lombard heath is less known. Built between 1932 and 1934, the estate spreads across 17 hectares of land inhabited by deer and fallow deer. Conceived as a hunting lodge, it combines elegant, restrained lines with refined interior spaces, opened up by large windows that ensure continuity with the outdoors. Portaluppi’s signature can be seen in some of the original furnishings and in the meticulous choice of materials.
Casa L'Orto is an 18th-century house built by the ancestors of Carol LeWitt, wife of the American artist Sol LeWitt. In the 1970s, Sol LeWitt restored the building, transforming it into an artists' retreat and designing an organic vegetable garden that blends the house into the Mediterranean landscape. Inside, he created two large murals, which he completed on the day of his death on 8 April 2007 in New York. The house has a multi-level structure with terraces and courtyards that interact with light and sea views, and traditional materials have been reinterpreted in a contemporary style. Thus, Casa L'Orto combines historical memory, landscape and creativity, and is now a key location for artist residencies and cultural projects.
Among the three skyscrapers that redesign the CityLife skyline, the Libeskind Tower – also known as Il Curvo – is the project with which Daniel Libeskind reinterpreted the theme of the contemporary office tower. Completed in 2020 and now home to PwC Italia, the building stands out for its slightly curved shape, inspired by Michelangelo's Pietà Rondanini, and follows the elliptical outline of the square below. During the FAI Days, it will be possible to gain extraordinary access to some areas that are not normally open to visitors. Admission reserved for FAI members, by reservation only.
Designed by Gio Ponti, Antonio Fornaroli and Eugenio Soncini, the Rai headquarters on Corso Sempione were conceived in the late 1930s as a building for EIAR radio, and were completed after the war. The first official Italian television broadcast was made from here in 1954. Organised around recording studios, offices and technical spaces, the complex reflects the rational and functional language of Ponti's architecture. Domus recently featured this masterpiece, characterised by its continuous handrail, in a special in-depth article. Admission is by reservation only
The Margherita Theatre, which overlooks the seafront of Bari, was built between 1912 and 1914 based on a design by the engineer Francesco De Giglio. The building was conceived as an ingenious response to the ban on constructing new theatres in the Bari area — to circumvent the restriction, it was built directly on the sea. It rests on reinforced concrete pillars fixed into the seabed, making it the world's only stilt theatre.
Originally opened in 1959 as the Stadio San Paolo, this sports facility in the Fuorigrotta district was designed by the architects Carlo Cocchia and Luigi Corradi for the Mediterranean Games. It was expanded in the 1980s for the 1990 World Cup and officially named after Diego Armando Maradona in 2020. During the opening ceremony, visitors will also be able to view large murals by the artist Jorit depicting the champion and the neighbourhood's popular identity.
Located in the heart of Vicenza's manufacturing district, the Bisazza Foundation is an exhibition space dedicated to exploring the dialogue between contemporary art and design. Designed by architect Carlo Dal Bianco, the building transforms old industrial spaces into venues for exhibitions and installations. The permanent collection includes pieces by Alessandro Mendini, Ettore Sottsass, Richard Meier and John Pawson. The foundation is continuously expanding, and in 2015 it inaugurated an area dedicated to architectural photography, further enriching its exhibition programme.
In the heart of Trentino, the Mach Foundation houses a lesser-known work by Carlo Scarpa: the Venetian architect renovated the agricultural institute's wine centre here between 1964 and 1966. The 17-hectare campus stands on the site of a former 12th-century Augustinian convent. During the visit, you will have the opportunity to explore the school's teaching spaces and state-of-the-art equipment, as well as the large historic wine cellar and paintings by South Tyrolean artist Hans Rabenschneider, which are preserved in the rooms of the former monastery.