mascot

Ok, so for obvious reasons, museums and historical sights may prohibit photography. Does that mean we cannot bring in our camera in our small bag and not take it out? In one of the guidebooks I was reading, for the Ufizzi it stated "cameras not allowed" Other sites within the same book stated "Photography prohibited" or some variation thereof.

Is this just sloppy editing or are cameras prohibited, don't even bring them on the property sort of items in some places? We are going to Venice, Florence and Rome, think major attractions.

If cameras are prohibited , how safe are the bag checks at the museums? We would prefer not to have to keep returning to our hotel during the day, but also would prefer not to have our cameras taken.

Zerlina

The only place where you are not allowed to carry in a camera - or anything else except perhaps a wallet and a pack of Kleenex - is the Galleria Borghese in Rome. I have never heard of anything being stolen from the bag check there.

kybourbon

There are a few museums that bag check is mandatory such as the Borghese in Rome. Some just make you check large backpacks. Most just don't let you take pictures because of the light harming the artworks or because they have a contract with a company that sells photos of the museum in the gift shop.

kerouac

With camera phones, these bans are outdated.

"No flash pictures" should be the rule anywhere that paintings are involved, but "no photography" or "no cameras" is unenforceable.

LoveItaly

The Pallazo Grizzi in Venice did not allow one to even carry a small purse while visiting their museum. We were given a plastic type of zippered bag which we were allowed to put our wallet in. Our purses had to be checked. And they required we hand over a piece of ID which was returned when we collected our purses. I used my CA DL. I was leary but thankfully everything was returned intact.