A system for the damped closing of an opening, the latter being in particular an access opening within a refrigerator cabinet, comprising: - at least one closing element slidable between a closing position in which it closes said opening and an opening position in which said opening is open; - at least one stationary support structure (T, C) which includes at least one element for guiding the sliding of said at least one closing element; - elastic means for returning said at least one closing element from the opening position towards the closing position; - damping means (40, 41) acting upon closing said at least one closing element to counteract the action of said elastic return means; wherein said elastic return means include or consist of at least one elongated elastic element having a first end fixed to said at least one stationary support structure (T, C) and a second opposite end fixed to said at least one closing element; characterized in that said damping means include at least one damping device and at least one activation pin mutually slidable and cooperating so that the damping device is selectively activated when said at least one closing element is in proximity of the closing position, said at least one damping device being fixed to one of said at least one closing element and said at least one stationary support structure (T, C), said at least one activation pin being fixed to the other of said at least one closing element and said at least one stationary support structure (T, C); and further characterized in that the system is free of braking means which act on said elastic return means before the mutual interaction between the at least one damping device and said at least one activation pin. - at least one closing element slidable between a closing position in which it closes said opening and an opening position in which said opening is open; - at least one stationary support structure (T, C) which includes at least one element for guiding the sliding of said at least one closing element; - elastic means for returning said at least one closing element from the opening position towards the closing position; - damping means (40, 41) acting upon closing said at least one closing element to counteract the action of said elastic return means; wherein said elastic return means include or consist of at least one elongated elastic element having a first end fixed to said at least one stationary support structure (T, C) and a second opposite end fixed to said at least one closing element; characterized in that said damping means include at least one damping device and at least one activation pin mutually slidable and cooperating so that the damping device is selectively activated when said at least one closing element is in proximity of the closing position, said at least one damping device being fixed to one of said at least one closing element and said at least one stationary support structure (T, C), said at least one activation pin being fixed to the other of said at least one closing element and said at least one stationary support structure (T, C); and further characterized in that the system is free of braking means which act on said elastic return means before the mutual interaction between the at least one damping device and said at least one activation pin.