Italian for museums, churches and guided tours: phrases for culture lovers

In Italy, a lot of the best art is free and out in the open: the walls of churches you can walk into, the facade of a building you pass on your way to dinner, the mosaics of a small town you stopped in by chance. The rest of it sits in museums, and the ticket desk is where you’ll have your first real conversation in Italian.

In this guide you’ll find the phrases for the whole visit. Buying tickets and asking about discounts, joining a guided tour and understanding how it works, and going into a church without doing something the locals would find strange.

At Museums (Nei Musei)

Quanto costa l’ingresso? How much is the entrance fee?

Ci sono sconti per studenti? Are there student discounts?

A che ora chiudete? What time do you close?

Quanto tempo serve per la visita? How long does the visit take?

Avete una guida in inglese? Do you have a guide in English?

Posso fare foto? Can I take photos?

È vietato il flash Flash photography is prohibited

Dov’è la mappa del museo? Where is the museum map?

È aperto tutto l’anno? Is it open all year?

Guided Tours (Visite Guidate)

Ci sono visite guidate? Are there guided tours?

A che ora inizia la prossima visita? What time does the next tour start?

Quanto dura? How long does it last?

In che lingua? In which language?

Dove ci incontriamo? Where do we meet?

È necessario prenotare? Is it necessary to book?

Churches (Chiese)

È aperta per le visite? Is it open for visits?

Bisogna coprirsi? Do you need to cover up?

C’è una messa oggi? Is there a mass today?

Want a Hand?

This guide gives you the words for a day at a museum or a church in Italy. The stories behind the paintings are the best part, and those come in Italian: who the painter was, why the fresco ended up in that chapel, what the inscription on the altar says.

A teacher can walk you through the art and architecture vocabulary you won’t find in a phrasebook, help you read the labels in Italian, and get you ready for your next visit.

Book a free trial lesson and get ready to enjoy Italian art in Italian.