4.5 stars but rounded down. TLDR synopsis: stellar exhibitions, well put together and curated with…read moreample descriptions and detail. What detracts from overall experience is needing separate tickets for each exhibition, at €15 a pop they aren't cheap if you see more than one. But above all, signage for entry is not clear. If you didn't buy tickets in advance (highly recommended to do this), the line at front of the building is only for ONE of the exhibitions, not all of them. There is no main lobby like in a regular museum. So make sure you get in line at the particular entrance of the exhibit you came to see, or you'll waste time in line for nothing.
To the unfamiliar visitor you might assume the line in front of the building is for the entire museum (which is generally how entry lines work in a museum). BUT NO, DON'T MAKE THIS MISTAKE :) Walking up to the entrance area I saw signs for that particular exhibit, which I just assumed was marketing to feature that exhibit. The museum attendants don't specifically mention that this ticket line is for only one of the temp exhibitions either, they only kept asking if everyone in line had yet to purchase a ticket. Basically I wasted time waiting for an hour, then paid for the ticket and ended up only noticing then it only had the Cezanne and Renoir image on the ticket. This wasn't the one I came to see (although I had a mild interest), and unfortunately they don't let you switch tickets once you purchase them. So I had to purchase a separate ticket at the entrance to the Dolce & Gabbana exhibit which HAD NO LINE which I saw afterwards at a different entry.
If you buy tickets in advance then do it before the day of your visit, bc the website can be finicky when loading on your phone. I tried to buy tickets while standing in line but when it came to entering the timed security code they texted to my phone, the website kept saying it couldn't send the code, while meanwhile I kept receiving a code but not being able to enter it to complete the transaction. It may be an issue related to using international phone numbers in Italy bc I overheard a couple other people in line having the same issue. The only good thing about buying tickets in person is you save the €2.50 online service charge. Online it's €17.50, in person it's €15pp.
Also, there is a free portion of the museum (in Apr 2024 this was for the accessories portion of the D&G exhibit) which no one (I asked 3 different museum attendants) could point me to -_- tho to be fair it could've been a lost in translation situation since I have zero Italian competency. I finally went to the gift shop for one of the other temp exhibits and they mentioned it's actually the same entrance to the main D&G exhibit, you proceed up the stairs but it's on the other side of the ticket counter. It's def confusing bc the timed ticket line for D&G is cordoned at the base of this same stairwell, with a couple attendants manning this line. So unless you knew that there's no one barring you from straight up going upstairs, you might think you have to get in line to go upstairs.
Exhibitions:
Cezanne and Renoir: they put a lot of attention into construction and descriptions of each painting, and audio guide came included for free in the ticket price, which was informative and took about 30-40 minutes to listen thru in entirety. The number of rooms and artworks was a couple fewer than I would've imagined though overall well curated.
Dolce&Gabbana: MIND-BLOWING. I've seen all the major Met fashion exhibitions in NYC and a couple in London, and this one stands out in every way. Talk about over-the-top! So amazing bc all of these garments are shown in fully themed rooms, not behind glass displays. Jaw-dropping to see that level of detail up close. If you're a lover of fashion, fabrics and design or even just curious this is a must-see. I'm sure you could walk thru all the rooms in 30-40 min but I spent 3 hours here just taking it all in.
