Roman Hours

Roman Hours

Virtually the entire city shuts down on Sundays, officially a day of rest in Italy, while museums, pastry shops, and most restaurants are closed Mondays. However, most stores in the centro storico area remain open. Shop hours generally run from 10 AM to 1 PM, then reopen around 4 until 7:30 or 8 PM. On Mondays, shops usually don't open until around 3 or 4 PM. Pharmacies tend to have the same hours of operation as stores unless they advertise orario notturno (night hours). As for churches, most open at 8 or 9 in the morning, close from noon to 3 or 4, then reopen until 6:30 or 7. The notable except is St. Peter's, which has continuous hours from 7 AM to 7 PM (6 in the fall and winter). The Vatican Museums are open on Monday but closed on Sunday, except for the last Sunday of the month (when admission is free and crowds are large; they remain closed if the Sunday is a religious holiday).