The weekend of 18 and 19 April 2026 brings a coordinated opening of historic residences around the globe as part of the second edition of the International House Museum Days. This temporary cultural network invites the public into the lived environments of writers, musicians, scientists and other notable figures
so visitors can observe how personal spaces, belongings and archives shape life stories. The initiative connects over 400 sites worldwide and includes more than 150 house museums in Italy across 18 regions, offering a broad spectrum of spaces from modest birthplaces to grand villas.
The event is organized as a chance to both welcome visitors and to strengthen a wider cultural infrastructure: through the house museum concept, biographies become legible in the arrangement
of rooms, preserved objects and documentary collections. People are encouraged to use the central booking portal at www.casedellamemoria.it where details for each venue are published; note that reservations are open until 15 April 2026 and that each house may apply specific rules about capacity, time slots and admission policy.
How the initiative works and why it matters
This programme acts as a temporary but coordinated
network that makes visible a wide variety of residences: from artist studios and summer retreats to the humble childhood homes of influential figures. The organizing association has a stable core of about 120 affiliated house museums in Italy, and for these two days that network is expanded by external partners so that sites usually outside major tourist routes can take part. The effect is twofold: established museums gain visibility while lesser known places have an opportunity to emerge and attract new audiences.
Participation and logistics
Participation is open to any site that preserves and interprets a personal history, and the format deliberately spans disciplines—literature, music, science, visual arts, and public life. Practical information, such as whether a visit is free or ticketed, opening hours, and mandatory booking, is listed on each venue’s page on www.casedellamemoria.it. For the public, the weekend can be turned into a short cultural itinerary that combines visits with local dining and walks, helping to animate nearby economies and heritage routes.
Spotlight: Casa Museo Grazia Deledda in Nuoro
Among the Italian highlights is the Casa Museo Grazia Deledda in Nuoro, the birthplace of the Sardinian novelist (1871–1936) and a major reference point for readers of Italian literature. For the International House Museum Days the museum opens its doors with free admission on both days, and visitors will be able to explore the rooms, see belongings and archival traces that informed her work, and receive a small commemorative token while stocks last. Opening hours are 10:00–13:00 and 15:00–19:00 on Saturday and Sunday.
Practical details for Casa Museo Grazia Deledda
Address: via Grazia Deledda 44, 08100 Nuoro. Phone: 0784 25088. Full museum information is available at www.isresardegna.org/musei/museo-deledda. Visitors planning a trip should check the museum’s entry rules on the central portal, and complete any required reservations by 15 April 2026 to secure a visit and avoid disappointment.
Cultural partnerships and the value of visiting
The initiative is promoted by the National Association of House Museums and has the patronage of the Ministry of Culture, with international collaboration from bodies such as ICOM, the Demhist and Iclcm committees, and the European Network of House Museums of Distinguished Persons. Media partners include major national outlets, while local sponsors and foundations support regional activations. Organizers emphasize that cooperative work between institutions and community networks transforms simple sightseeing into an act of cultural knowledge: original settings, testimonies and archives help reconstruct creative processes and life paths that might otherwise remain fragmented.
Taking part in the weekend means more than ticking off a list of addresses; it is a way to enter the intimate geography of influential lives and to interpret material traces as entry points to history and culture. To prepare, pick the site that interests you, consult its information sheet on the portal, and complete booking where required before the 15 April 2026 deadline—turning a national event into a considered local experience.