Visitors and residents of Rome will be able to buy a combined admission ticket to the Vatican and Capitoline Museums in a one-year trial period starting this summer, after the Holy See has agreed. This way its is hoped that the Vatican (the fifth most visited art museum in The Art Newspaper‘s April report, attracting 5.5 million people in 2013) will boost attendance at the less well-known Capitoline Museums.

On Wednesday Rome city council approved of the single ticket for the Capitoline Museums and the Vatican Museums.

With every advance ticket sold the Vatican website will automatically generate a voucher for reduced admission at the Capitoline. Meanwhile, until October, visitors buying tickets at the Capitoline, the Ara Pacis Museum or at information points in Rome’s historic centre will get reduced entry at the Capitoline if they reserve a ticket for the Vatican Museums at the full price.

The Italian culture ministry has also approved measures to install protective roofing and multilingual signs along the queuing route for the Vatican museums.