Look, its Italy. The place is both unorganised and a beurocratic nightmare, individual Italians are brilliant but together they become a disorganised rabble. So the answer will always be "it depends".

However to help you, if the museum has xray machines at the start (and some do) you cannot take water in. Just because they don't look at the machine....

All public museums will have check in points, either lockers which is best or staffed shelving. Get rid of the junk as it will prove heavy on a long visit and will worry the staff (is that person about to knife a painting?) and keep wallet and passport with you dumping everything else.

Keep an eye out for flocks of children heading towards the locker area as they will take hours to unload or pick up. If in doubt force your way through pushing them out of the way.

The Galleria Borghese insists that you check everything; if they haven't run out of them, they'll give you a small plastic bag to put your wallet into.

The same situation at Palazzo Barberini. There are lockers and you must check your bags, umbrellas, purses, etc.. And I don't believe you're permitted to have a water bottle with you there, either.

Thanks for sharing something I hadn't thought of!

>>>'it is not permitted to enter the Museums with alcoholic drinks.'<<<

They do sell wine in the Vatican cafeteria (or did).

You can go in St. Peter's with a water bottle. I've never had a problem with taking my water bottle in. I always refill in the fountains either in the center of the piazza or once inside, at the fountain by the line for the cupola.

Rules are differnt at every museum. Some won;t let you take in any sort of bag - yes you have to put your wallet in your pockets - or hold it - until done. Some others do let you take in a smallish bag - with a small bottle of water in it (since they won;t see it).

You have to be prepare for either one.

Also the rules about photos are different - some won;t even let you take a camera into a museum.

I see that I will have to be prepared to check my purse at some sites.

Unfortunately, my Baggallini shoulder bag has compartments & pockets to slip in items such as identification, money, etc. so I wouldn't normally carry a separate wallet. Maybe I'll keep a small Ziploc bag in my purse so I can 'unpack my valuables' to take with me!

Thanks for your help!

I was at the Borghese 2 weeks ago. Yes, you have to check your purse (and anything else like camera, backpack, umbrella). They gave me a plastic bag with handles with which to place my important stuff (money, credit cards, cell phone, id). I carried it around while in the museum, returned to retrieve everything at the end - very easy. I did not have a camera - I don't know how I would have felt about checking an expensive piece of camera equipment.

At the Vatican Museums, they will let you check a backpack, but not a jacket or any type of clothing.

Hope this helps, happy travels!

Will be at the Borghese in 2 weeks. Thanks for the info, I'll take some little bag for money and id and check everything else. Thanks again.

2010 - so far I've had no problem taking what we brits call a handbag into museums in Italy, but I've never been to the Borghese which does seem to be stricter than the others.

where they do want you to deposit items, they have a cloakroom/garderobe. I've never had any problems with [dis]honesty, but i suppose there's always a first time.

have a great trip!

I've actually seen guards confiscate cameras in the Borghese, although the individual has been told they can remain in the museum and claim the camera at the "close" of the time on their ticket. The guards are VERY keen about not having the interior of the museum photographed, and I actually saw this happen twice on the same visit I'd made to the Borghese; two different "would-be covert" photographers got busted.

Be aware that the entrance to the Vatican museums is a long way from the exit into St. Peter's. I'd not want to have to walk all the way back to the entrance to pick up something I could have left at my hotel.