Around 600 noted Italian buildings and historic sites open their doors to the public free of charge on the weekend of 15-16 May as part of the annual Giornate FAI di Primavera initiative organised by the Fondo Ambiente Italiano.

The sites include rarely-opened palaces, castles, abbeys, libraries, parks, nature trails and gardens, with FAI identifying some of the highlights on this year's itinerary: Reggello: the Sammezzano Castle, 40 km south of Florence, a kaleidoscopic triumph of eclectic orientalist-style architecture, closed to the public for decades. (Completely booked up).