Is there a cloakroom or luggage storage?
Guardaroba: gwar-dah-ROH-bah. Literally 'watch-the-robe' — cloakroom. Stress on the third syllable.
At the museum entrance when you have a large bag or backpack. Italian museums typically require you to deposit bags above a certain size before entering.
C'è is 'is there'. Un guardaroba is a cloakroom. Un deposito bagagli is luggage storage. Both refer to the bag deposit service — guardaroba is the Italian cultural term.
Devo lasciare lo zaino?
Do I have to leave my backpack?
Large backpacks are often prohibited in gallery rooms.
Il deposito è gratuito?
Is storage free?
Usually free — occasionally €1-2 for lockers.
Posso tenere la borsa piccola?
Can I keep the small bag?
Small bags (under 30x30cm) are usually permitted.
Italian museum security has intensified significantly since the 1990s, when several high-profile thefts and the 1993 Uffizi bombing (which damaged 37 artworks). Backpack restrictions, metal detectors, and CCTV are now standard. The Carabinieri's TPC (Cultural Heritage Protection) unit is the world's oldest art theft investigative force, founded in 1969.