What is allowed in museums and other sites

Yes, there's a place to check bags. Yes, it's attended or, if not, it's a small locker where you get the key. Yes, it's safe. They've been doing this for decades and they know what they're doing.

Thank you. :-)

No need to leave your money in the checkroom. Just take it with you.

Would you trust leaving a phone? I dont know if smart phones are not allowed becuase of cameras but I will be relying on my phone for calendar reminders, GPS, etc.

At the Borghese no smart phones. Now, I do not believe you cannot be without your phone for two hours.

Just put your phone in your pocket and keep it there. So of the attractions actually have scanners so you may have to show everything. You will be find. Theft is no great problem than from wherever you are from. If you check it, you will have some type of claim form - paper ticket, token, etc.

I didn't catch the money reference. Yeah, no way should you check that, but that's true regardless of where you are.

At the Borghese and other places, you check your bag and are given a retrieval slip or token. The Borghese will allow you to take small personal items with you (even a water bottle) in an opaque plastic bag.

Often when you check things at a museum or baggage storage, or rent equipment for an audio guide, you may be asked to leave some form of official ID. Rather than a passport, I would suggest a drivers license. As a matter of fact, I carry an old expired drivers license with me, leave that, and have never had that questioned. I have never had a problem with any item I have checked in these places. Also, in places where there is discounted admission based on age or EU citizenship, you will be asked to prove you qualify with a passport or other document. I have carried a copy of the key pages of my passport for that. I myself have adopted the practice of keeping my passport itself locked in my suitcase in my hotel room, except when going to check-in and fly at an airport, or to briefly provide to a hotel or inn at check-in.

At the Borghese they are super-strict about the no-photo policy, which is the main reason they have you check phones. St. Mark's doesn't want bulky things, big shopping bags are out as well. Most museums don't want people walking around with backpacks, mostly to protect the exhibits from accidental damage. Except at the Borghese, I don't leave valuables behind, I carry a canvas tote bag and transfer those things, plus other items I may want - water bottle, kleenex, reading glasses, etc. Some museums provide small shopping bags for that purpose. When you check a bag, you get a small token with a number corresponding to the individual storage cubicle.

We entered St. Mark's with our purses with no problem. Matter of fact, I went to check in my purse and they wouldn't take it. They said the bag check was only for backpacks. At the Borghese Gallery, I took my phone out of my purse and stuck it in my pocket along with my $. The "ticket taker" at the Borghese didn't check/care if people brought in small camera bags. There were many people taking pictures in the Borghese. Not all rooms were staffed with workers. The ones that were did stop people from taking pictures. In all our travels, Borghese was the only place that didn't allow purses.