Italy opens art and history to the blind through touch and sound

Italy is using new and creative ideas to help blind and visually impaired people enjoy its famous art and historic sites, not by sight but through touch, sound and imagination.

In Rome, after tourists left the Colosseum, a small group joined a special tour made for people with little or no vision. Instead of looking at the monument, they listened to detailed explanations and touched a small model to understand its shape.

One of the visitors, 54-year-old Michela Marcato, who has been blind since birth, said touching the model helped her understand something new about the Colosseum. For the first time, she realized the building has an oval shape. She said walking around it before never gave her that understanding.

Italy’s historic places have often been difficult for people with disabilities because of narrow paths and uneven ground. But since 2021, the government has increased efforts to improve access, using European Union recovery funds to remove barriers and create more inclusive experiences.

At Pompeii, blind visitors can now use braille signs, audio guides, tactile maps and raised copies of artifacts. 

In Florence, authorities have published clear guides showing which museums and routes are accessible and what kind of help visitors may need.

Tourism experts say inclusive travel is not only about equal rights, but also good for business. 

The World Tourism Organization notes that many older travelers have disabilities and often travel with family or companions.

In Rome, tour guide Giorgio Guardi runs special tours for people with disabilities. He often organizes them at night to avoid crowds and noise. When touching monuments is not allowed, he uses creative methods, such as asking visitors to copy the pose of a famous statue to understand its shape and emotion.

Italy also has the Museo Omero in Ancona, the country’s only state-funded museum where visitors are encouraged to touch the artworks. 

The museum was founded by two blind art lovers and includes replicas of famous sculptures as well as modern art by blind artists.

For Marcato, art is about feeling and memory, not sight. A painting of the sea in her home reminds her of sounds, smells and walks by the shore.

“It is a way of feeling art,” she said, “not a way of seeing it.”