What to do on Sundays in Florence and Rome?

Check the website for the Borghese Museum. We visited there on a Sunday in July. You usually need a reservation that can be confirmed on their website. You do not pay until you get there. Just bring your emailed confirmation. It is in a lovely park so once you have finished with the museum, you can have a nice stroll. The Borghese is on the Roma Pass so if you plan to purchase this pass, show it with your emailed confirmation to get a discount. The Spanish Steps and Piazza Navona are the other places we visited on Sunday. (Roma Pass includes metro passes for 3 days).

Most museums in Florence has Monday as a closing day, not Sunday. Don't expect anything to be open on January 1. In Rome the only thing you can't see on a Sunday is the Vatican Museum. St Peter's is open and the other attractions (Coliseum, Pantheon, Roman Forum) will be open as well. The piazzas and fountain in the cities are always open.

For information on the RomaPass visit www.romapass.it. Two sights are included in the price of the pass but a reservation is still needed at the Borghese Gallery. The RomaPass does not guarantee entry.

Thanks to all for the great info. I will be traveling on Jan 1 from Florence to Pompei. I figured it's a good use of the holiday when many things are closed.