Language · 11 published
Country guide
Italy holds 62 World Heritage Sites, more than any other country, spread across 301,340 km2 of land that runs from the Alps down into the middle of the Mediterranean. The distances between its cities are short and the differences between them are not: Venice has no roads, Naples sits under a volcano on a bay, Florence fits inside a walkable Renaissance grid, and Milan keeps its art indoors and works for a living. Rome is the capital and the obvious first trip; the argument is always about what comes second. Nearly 800 islands hang off the coast, and Sicily and Sardinia are each large enough to be a trip of their own.
Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor
Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.
Photograph · Bert Kaufmann from Roermond, Netherlands · CC BY-SA 2.0
Photograph · Daniel Case · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photograph · Wikibusters · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photograph · Martin Falbisoner · CC BY-SA 4.0
Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.
145 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
Interests
Colosseo
The Colosseum is the Flavian Amphitheatre, the largest amphitheatre in the world, standing at the eastern end of the Roman Forum on Piazza del Colosseo.
Basilica di San Pietro
St. Peter's Basilica, locally Basilica di San Pietro, stands as one of Rome's most prominent landmarks within Vatican City. This Renaissance church occupies a site of immense historical and religious significance in Christianity.
Duomo di Milano
Milan's cathedral was begun in 1386, on ground already occupied by the basilicas of Santa Maria Maggiore and Santa Tecla, whose remains still lie under the square.
Palazzo Pitti is a single enormous palace on the south bank of the Arno that now holds five museums and a chapel under one ticket.
Basilica di Santa Croce
Santa Croce is the Franciscan mother church of Florence and the largest Franciscan church in the world.
Palazzo Vecchio is the fortified town hall on the north side of Piazza della Signoria, and it is still exactly that: the city's museum service calls it the monument that symbolises Florence and the seat of its government for more…
Castello Sforzesco
Castello Sforzesco is a brick fortress in the middle of Milan that has been a ducal palace, a foreign garrison and, for the last century, the city's own museum complex.
Terme di Caracalla
The Baths of Caracalla, known locally as Terme di Caracalla, constitute one of Rome's most substantial surviving ancient bath complexes.
The Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana is a historic library in Venice, Italy, located in the Piazzetta San Marco near the Doge's Palace. Founded in the 16th century, it houses one of Italy's most important collections of classical manuscripts and texts.
Palazzo Ducale
The Doge's Palace, known locally as Palazzo Ducale, stands as a defining landmark of Venice. This Gothic palace served as the residence of the Doge, the elected leader of the former Venetian Republic, and housed the republic's main governing bodies.
Ponte Milvio is an ancient Roman bridge spanning the Tiber River in northern Rome. The structure carries significant historical weight as the site of the pivotal Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312 CE, where Constantine defeated Maxentius.
Santa Maria delle Grazie is a Dominican convent church in central Milan, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site jointly with Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper housed within its refectory.
Cappella Sistina
The Sistine Chapel, known locally as Cappella Sistina, is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace within Vatican City. It serves as the site of the Papal conclave, where new popes are elected.
Basilica di San Clemente al Laterano
The Basilica of San Clemente is a layered historical church near the Colosseum in Rome. The present structure dates from the twelfth century, built over a fourth-century basilica, which itself covers Roman-era buildings including a mithraeum.
The Altare della Patria, formally known as the Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II, is a prominent national monument in central Rome.
Chiesa di Sant'Andrea al Quirinale
Sant'Andrea al Quirinale is a Jesuit church on Rome’s Quirinal Hill, designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and completed in the late seventeenth century. Dedicated to Saint Andrew the Apostle, it is one of Bernini’s most accomplished religious buildings.
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele Secondo
The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is a historic shopping arcade in central Milan, Italy. Named after the first king of unified Italy, it opened in 1877 and represents one of Europe's oldest covered shopping galleries.
Fontana di Trevi
The Trevi Fountain is the terminal display, the mostra, of the Acqua Vergine — the aqueduct brought into Rome in 19 BC and the only one of the ancient aqueducts that has run without interruption to the present day.
Ponte Sant'Angelo is a historic bridge spanning the Tiber River in Rome, connecting the city centre to the Castel Sant'Angelo.
The Domus Aurea, or Golden House, was the vast palace built by Emperor Nero after the Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD.
Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi
The Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi is a Baroque masterpiece designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and completed in 1651. It occupies the center of Piazza Navona, one of Rome's most celebrated public squares.
Basilica di San Lorenzo Maggiore
The Basilica of San Lorenzo, locally named Basilica di San Lorenzo Maggiore, stands as one of Milan's most ancient churches.
Terme di Diocleziano
The Baths of Diocletian, known locally as Terme di Diocleziano, constitute one of ancient Rome's most massive bath complexes. Constructed between 298 and 306 CE, these public baths were commissioned by Emperor Maximian and named after his co-emperor Diocletian.
Arsenale di Venezia
The Venetian Arsenal is a vast former shipyard complex in Venice's Castello district. Established in the twelfth century, it became one of Europe's largest industrial centres before the modern era, producing merchant and naval vessels using innovative assembly-line techniques.
Palazzo Medici Riccardi is a Renaissance palace in Florence, Italy. It was commissioned by Cosimo de' Medici and designed by Michelozzo di Bartolomeo in the fifteenth century.
Villa medicea di Castello
Villa Castello, or Villa medicea di Castello, is a Medici villa on the outskirts of Florence. The property combines Renaissance architecture with a formally designed garden and belongs to the network of rural residences created for the Medici family.
The Loggia dei Lanzi is an open-air sculpture gallery located on the southeast corner of Piazza della Signoria in Florence. Built between 1376 and 1382, this Gothic-style loggia was originally designed to host public ceremonies of the Florentine Republic.
Basilica di Santa Maria del Santo Spirito
Santo Spirito is a major basilica in Florence's Oltrarno district, formally named Basilica di Santa Maria del Santo Spirito. The church stands as one of the most significant Renaissance religious structures in the city, designed by Filippo Brunelleschi.
Basilica di Santa Maria del Carmine
Santa Maria del Carmine is a Carmelite church in Florence's Oltrarno district. The basilica dates to the thirteenth century and was rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1771 destroyed much of its interior.
Basilica della Santissima Annunziata
The Basilica della Santissima Annunziata is a major Renaissance church in Florence and the centre of the piazza that bears its name.
Villa dei Quintili
The Villa dei Quintili is a large Roman aristocratic estate on the Via Appia southeast of Rome. The Quintilii brothers, wealthy consuls in 151 CE, owned the residence before Emperor Commodus seized it and had them executed.
Torre dell'orologio
St Mark's Clocktower, or Torre dell'Orologio, is a Renaissance landmark on the north side of Piazza San Marco. Its astronomical clock displays the hours, moon phases and zodiac signs, while two bronze figures strike the bell above.
Palazzo Colonna is a historic palace in Rome, Italy, belonging to the Colonna family, one of the oldest and most prominent noble families in the city.
Ponte di Rialto
The Ponte di Rialto is the oldest of the four bridges that cross the Grand Canal inside Venice, and until the Accademia bridge was built in 1854 it was the only one.
Ponte dei Sospiri
The Bridge of Sighs, or Ponte dei Sospiri, is an enclosed limestone bridge in Venice’s San Marco district. It crosses the Rio di Palazzo and links the Doge’s Palace with the New Prison.
Circo Massimo
Circus Maximus, known locally as Circo Massimo, is an ancient Roman chariot racing stadium and mass entertainment venue situated in the valley between the Aventine and Palatine hills in Rome.
Piazza San Marco is the principal public square of Venice, and to Venetians it is simply la Piazza.
Ostia Antica
Ostia Antica is a large archaeological site located near Rome, preserving the remains of the ancient port city of Ostia.
Piazza Navona is a long oval-ended square in the historic centre of Rome, and its shape is not a design decision of the Baroque period but the footprint of a Roman building.
Catacombe di San Sebastiano
The Catacombs of San Sebastiano are an ancient underground cemetery complex beside the Appian Way. The site takes its name from Saint Sebastian, the Christian martyr traditionally associated with burial here.
Cimitero Monumentale
Cimitero Monumentale is Milan’s monumental cemetery and an open-air collection of sculpture, architecture and memorial art. Founded in 1866, it remains an active burial ground while welcoming visitors interested in Italian artistic heritage.
Ara Pacis Augustae
The Ara Pacis Augustae is an ancient Roman altar dedicated to Pax, the goddess of peace.
Scalinata della Trinità dei Monti
The Spanish Steps are the staircase that carries Piazza di Spagna up the slope of the Pincio hill to the church of Santissima Trinità dei Monti standing above it.
Mausoleo di Augusto
The Mausoleum of Augustus is a large circular tomb built as the final resting place of Emperor Augustus, the first Roman emperor.
Piazza di Spagna is a prominent public square in Rome's historic centre, named after the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See.
Palazzo Farnese is a monumental High Renaissance palace on Piazza Farnese in Rome’s historic centre. The Farnese family commissioned the building, and Antonio da Sangallo the Younger began its design before Michelangelo contributed important later elements.
Abbazia di Chiaravalle
Chiaravalle Abbey, known locally as Abbazia di Chiaravalle, is a Cistercian monastery located in the southern periphery of Milan. Founded in 1135, it represents an important example of Lombard Gothic and Romanesque architecture.
Chiesa di Santa Maria della Passione
Santa Maria della Passione is a historic Catholic church in central Milan, also known locally as Chiesa di Santa Maria della Passione. It belongs to the city’s rich ecclesiastical landscape and offers a quieter alternative to Milan’s busiest monumental churches.
Teatro di Marcello
The Theatre of Marcellus is an ancient open-air theatre in Rome, Italy. Its local name is Teatro di Marcello. Construction began under Julius Caesar and was completed by Augustus in 13 BC, dedicated to his nephew Marcus Claudius Marcellus.
Palazzo Belgioioso
Palazzo Belgioioso stands as a distinguished neoclassical palace in central Milan, constructed in the late eighteenth century to designs by Giuseppe Piermarini. The building exemplifies the refined architectural transition from Baroque grandeur to Enlightenment restraint.
Palazzo della Ragione is a medieval civic building in Piazza dei Mercanti, immediately beside Milan’s cathedral district. Dating from the thirteenth century, it served as Milan’s broletto, a center for courts, public administration, and communal government.
Villa Reale
The Royal Villa of Milan, known locally as Villa Reale, stands as a significant historic estate in Milan. This distinguished property reflects aristocratic heritage and architectural importance within the city's cultural landscape.
Chiesa di San Fedele
San Fedele Church, or Chiesa di San Fedele, is a sixteenth-century church in central Milan beside Piazza San Fedele. The church is an active parish and a significant example of Counter-Reformation architecture.
Chiesa di San Pietro in Gessate
San Pietro in Gessate is a fifteenth-century Renaissance church in Milan’s Porta Vittoria area.
Forte di Belvedere
Forte di Belvedere is a Renaissance fortress on the Boboli hill above Florence. Built under Grand Duke Ferdinando I de’ Medici and designed by Bernardo Buontalenti, it served military and residential purposes.
Mercati di Traiano
Trajan's Market, known locally as Mercati di Traiano, constitutes an extensive complex of ruins in Rome traditionally associated with commercial and administrative functions. The structure forms part of the broader Forum of Trajan archaeological zone.
Cattedrale di San Romolo
Fiesole Cathedral, known locally as Cattedrale di San Romolo, stands in the hill town of Fiesole overlooking Florence. This historic cathedral serves as the seat of the Diocese of Fiesole and represents a significant religious landmark in the Tuscany region.
Portico d'Ottavia
The Porticus Octaviae, known locally as Portico d'Ottavia, is an ancient Roman portico in the heart of Rome's Jewish Ghetto.
Catacombe di San Callisto
The Catacomb of Callixtus, locally known as Catacombe di San Callisto, constitutes one of Rome's most significant early Christian burial complexes.
Ghetto di Venezia
The Venetian Ghetto is Venice’s historic Jewish quarter in Cannaregio, established in 1516 on the site of an iron foundry.
Piazza del Campidoglio is a public square atop the Capitoline Hill in Rome, Italy. Designed by Michelangelo in the 16th century, it represents one of the most significant examples of Renaissance urban planning.
Largo di Torre Argentina
Largo di Torre Argentina is a square in Rome that contains the remains of four Republican-era temples and the Theatre of Pompey. The ruins were uncovered during demolition work in the 1920s.
Basilica di San Marco
The Basilica of St. Mark, or Basilica di San Marco, is a historic religious building in Florence. It is distinct from St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, although both are dedicated to the same patron saint.
Altino
Altinum, also called Altino, is an ancient Roman settlement on the Venetian mainland near Venice. It was once a significant port city whose commercial and strategic importance connected it with Adriatic trade.
Piazzale Michelangiolo
Piazzale Michelangelo is a panoramic square overlooking Florence from the south bank of the Arno River. It was designed by architect Giuseppe Poggi in 1869 as part of Florence's brief period as capital of the Kingdom of Italy.
Palazzo dell'Ambrosiana
Palazzo dell'Ambrosiana is a historic palace in Milan, Italy, associated with the Biblioteca Ambrosiana, one of Europe's oldest and most significant cultural institutions.
The Crypta Balbi is a museum and archaeological complex in Rome, Italy. It stands on the site of the ancient Theatre of Balbus, built by Lucius Cornelius Balbus in 13 BCE.
Fontana Dell'Acqua Paola
Fontana dell'Acqua Paola is a monumental Baroque fountain located on the Janiculum Hill in Rome. Commissioned by Pope Paul V and completed in the early seventeenth century, it was built to mark the restoration of the ancient Trajan aqueduct.
Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo is a historic Venetian palace in the San Marco district, distinguished by its external spiral staircase, the Scala Contarini del Bovolo.
Fontana del Nettuno
The Fountain of Neptune is a monumental fountain located in the Piazza della Signoria, Florence's central civic square.
Palazzo della Civiltà del Lavoro
The Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana, also known locally as Palazzo della Civiltà del Lavoro, stands as an iconic monument of Rome's EUR district.
Palazzo Barbarigo is a historic palace on Venice's Grand Canal, associated with the Barbarigo family and the city's patrician residential tradition. Its facade combines Venetian Gothic character with later Renaissance changes, showing how noble houses evolved over time.
Arco della Pace
The Arco della Pace is a neoclassical triumphal arch in Milan, standing at the edge of Parco Sempione near the historic centre.
Certosa del Galluzzo
Florence Charterhouse, or Certosa del Galluzzo, is a Carthusian monastery on a hillside south of central Florence. Niccolò Acciaiuoli founded the complex in 1341.
Palazzo Bembo is a historic palace on Venice’s Grand Canal, near the Rialto Bridge. Its Venetian Gothic character, together with later Renaissance elements, makes it a strong example of the layered palazzo facades lining the city’s principal waterway.
Castello di Macconago
Castle of Macconago, also known locally as Castello di Macconago, is a historic castle in the Milan area. Its fortified character connects the site with Lombardy’s tradition of defensive buildings and noble residences.
Palazzo Clerici
Clerici Palace is a Milanese aristocratic residence associated with the Clerici family, set within the city’s historic centre.
Forte di Sant'Andrea is a historic military fortification located on the island of Sant'Andrea in the Venetian Lagoon. Built in the 16th century, it formed part of Venice's defensive system protecting the city from maritime threats approaching from the northeast.
Palazzo e Torre Rasini
Palazzo e Torre Rasini stands as a notable architectural presence in Milan. This tower and palace complex represents an element of the city's built heritage, contributing to the urban fabric of Italy's second-largest city.
Chiesa di San Nicolao
San Nicolao Church, or Chiesa di San Nicolao, is a historic religious building in Milan. It belongs to the city’s broad ecclesiastical heritage and offers a quieter alternative to the major cathedral and basilica circuit.
Palazzo Loredan dell'Ambasciatore is a historic Venetian palace located in the Dorsoduro district, overlooking the Grand Canal. It belongs to the Loredan family, one of Venice's most ancient and distinguished patrician houses.
Santa Maria Primerana
Santa Maria Primerana is a historic church in Florence and one of the many sacred buildings that give the city its exceptional concentration of heritage.
Palazzo Bellavite is a historic palace in Venice’s San Marco district. It belongs to the architectural landscape of central Venice, where noble residences, churches, bridges, and narrow streets form a continuous historic setting.
Anfiteatro Romano
The Anfiteatro Romano is Milan's ancient Roman amphitheatre, located in the city centre near Piazza dell'Amphiteatro. This archaeological site represents one of the most significant remnants of Mediolanum, the Roman settlement that preceded modern Milan.
Palazzo Corsini al Parione
Palazzo Corsini al Parione is a historic palace in central Florence’s Parione district.
Quartiere Coppedè is an architectural enclave in Rome's Trieste district, conceived by Florentine architect Gino Coppedè between 1913 and 1927. The quarter spans roughly one block and represents a distinctive fusion of Art Nouveau, medieval, Baroque, and ancient Greek influences.
Palazzo Giustiniani
Ca’ Giustinian is a historic Venetian palazzo in the San Marco district, associated with the city’s tradition of grand residences along the Grand Canal.
Chiesa di San Niccolò Oltrarno
The Church of San Niccolò Oltrarno is a parish church in Florence’s Oltrarno district, south of the Arno River. Its setting places it within a traditionally local part of the city known for artisan streets and neighbourhood life.
Palazzo Mocenigo Gambara is a historic palace in Venice’s Dorsoduro district, linked with the Mocenigo family, one of the city’s prominent patrician houses. Its significance lies in the combination of noble-family history and Venetian palace architecture.
Porta San Giorgio
Porta San Giorgio is a medieval city gate in Florence, located in the Oltrarno district near the Arno River. It forms part of the historic defensive walls that once encircled the city.
Santa Maria a Quinto
The Church of Santa Maria a Quinto is a religious building in Florence and part of the city’s extensive network of churches.
Palazzo Cornaggia
Cornaggia Palace is a named historic building in Milan and a specific architectural destination within the city’s dense urban fabric.
Palazzo Crespi
Palazzo Crespi is a historic palace in Milan, situated in the city's central area.
Forte Bazzera is a historic military fortification in the mainland part of Venice's municipal territory. It offers a different perspective on Venice from the lagoon palaces, bridges, and churches of the historic centre.
Forte Carpenedo is a military fortification located in the mainland district of Mestre, part of the Venice municipality. It belongs to the system of forts built during the Austrian domination of the Veneto region in the nineteenth century.
Forte Gazzera is a historic military fortification located in the mainland district of Mestre, part of the municipality of Venice.
Forte Malamocco is a historic fortification on the Lido of Venice, near Malamocco, one of the island's oldest settlements. It belongs to the defensive landscape that protected the lagoon entrance and maritime approaches to Venice.
Forte Rossarol is a military fortification in the Venetian lagoon defensive landscape. Its importance comes from the network of forts that protected Venice and the approaches to its waters, linking the structure to the city's broader military history.
Forte Mezzacapo
Fort Mezzacapo, or Forte Mezzacapo, is a historic military fortification connected with Venice’s wider defensive landscape. It represents the strategic architecture used to protect the lagoon and surrounding territory.
Forte Batteria Treporti
Fort Treporti, also known as Forte Batteria Treporti, is a historic military fortification in the Venetian lagoon area. It belongs to the defensive landscape that protected Venice and its maritime approaches.
Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·
Ten to fourteen days can combine Milan, Venice, Florence, and Rome by high-speed train. Give Venice more than a transfer night and Rome several separate sightseeing days; rural Tuscany needs different transport planning from the rail-linked cities.
Italy is in the Schengen Area, but visa and passport requirements vary by nationality and route. Use Italy's official visa portal to confirm the applicable rule before travel rather than relying on another Schengen trip.
High-speed trains connect Milan, Venice, Florence, and Rome, with regional rail and coaches serving smaller places. Drivers must check ZTL restrictions before entering historic centres because access controls are local and can generate fines.
April to June and September to October broadly suit the north-to-Rome rail route. Lagoon conditions in Venice, summer heat in Rome, and seasonal rural services in Tuscany should be checked independently.
Italy uses the euro (EUR). Carry a modest cash reserve for small purchases while using cards where accepted, and verify the euro amount at the terminal instead of accepting an unexamined conversion.
Italy routes emergency calls through 112. Travellers encounter a 230 V supply and Type C, F, or L receptacles. No tap-water assessment is recorded for Italy; obtain current local advice at the destination.
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