Pantheon
The Pantheon stands on Piazza della Rotonda in the middle of old Rome, and it is two things at once: a Roman temple and a working Catholic church.
- Must see
- Place of worship
- Rome
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 Mediterr...
Photograph · Timothy A. Gonsalves · CC BY-SA 4.0
Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor
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.
Checked 2026-08-25
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.
42 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
Interests
The Pantheon stands on Piazza della Rotonda in the middle of old Rome, and it is two things at once: a Roman temple and a working Catholic church.
Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore
The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore is the cathedral of Florence and the church the whole of Piazza del Duomo is arranged around.
Basilica di San Marco
St Mark's Basilica is the cathedral church of the Patriarchate of Venice and stands at the eastern end of Piazza San Marco, attached to the Doge's Palace.
Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano
The Archbasilica of St. John Lateran is the cathedral church of Rome and the official ecclesiastical seat of the Pope.
Basilica di San Paolo fuori le mura
The Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls is one of Rome’s four major papal basilicas.
Santa Maria Maggiore is a working papal basilica on Rome's Esquiline Hill, not a museum with a single prescribed visitor route. Its fifth-century nave and triumphal-arch mosaics make the early Christian building legible inside later layers of decoration.
Santa Maria della Salute
Santa Maria della Salute is a votive church standing at the mouth of the Grand Canal, raised by the Venetian Republic as a prayer and a thanksgiving for the city's deliverance from the plague of the seventeenth century.
Battistero di San Giovanni
The Baptistery of San Giovanni stands free in Piazza San Giovanni, directly in front of the cathedral facade, and it is the older of the two buildings by several centuries.
Chiesa del Gesù
The Church of the Gesù, or Chiesa del Gesù, is the mother church of the Society of Jesus in Rome. The church is a major Baroque landmark and an architectural model for Jesuit churches around the world.
Basilica di San Lorenzo
The Basilica di San Lorenzo stands on its own square a short walk north-west of the Duomo, and the Opera Medicea Laurenziana, the body that runs it, describes it as the oldest cathedral in Florence: the first building raised for…
Santa Maria della Vittoria is an active Discalced Carmelite church on Via XX Settembre in Rome, and the setting of Gian Lorenzo Bernini's Ecstasy of Saint Teresa.
Chiesa di San Luigi dei Francesi
San Luigi dei Francesi is Rome’s national church of France, located between the Pantheon and Piazza Navona in the historic centre.
Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere
Santa Maria in Trastevere is a basilica dedicated to the Virgin Mary in the heart of Rome’s Trastevere district.
Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari
The Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari is the Franciscan church of San Polo, and Venetians shorten its name to the Frari.
Basilica di San Giorgio Maggiore
San Giorgio Maggiore is a Benedictine basilica standing alone on its own island in the lagoon, directly across the water from the Piazzetta di San Marco.
Basilica dei santi Giovanni e Paolo
Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo is one of Venice’s major Gothic churches, standing in the large Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo in Castello. Venetians also call the basilica San Zanipolo.
Basilica di Sant'Agostino
The Basilica of Saint Augustine, or Basilica di Sant'Agostino, is a Roman Catholic church near Piazza Navona in Rome's historic centre. Dedicated to Saint Augustine of Hippo, it sits within the Campo Marzio district's dense collection of historic religious buildings.
Basilica di Santa Prassede
Santa Prassede, known locally as Basilica di Santa Prassede, is a basilica church in Rome. It stands as a historic religious building within the urban fabric of the city.
Basilica di San Pietro in Vincoli
San Pietro in Vincoli is a basilica in Rome, officially named Basilica di San Pietro in Vincoli. The church stands on the Oppian Hill near the Colosseum.
Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio
The Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio is a historic church in Milan and one of the most ancient in the city. Founded by Saint Ambrose in 379 AD, it was rebuilt in the Romanesque style during the eleventh and twelfth centuries.
Basilica di Santa Maria Novella
The Basilica of Santa Maria Novella is a major Dominican church in Florence, situated opposite the city's main railway station, which shares its name.
Basilica di Santa Maria sopra Minerva
Santa Maria sopra Minerva is an active Dominican basilica at Piazza della Minerva 42, just behind the Pantheon in Rome. Its three-aisled Gothic interior is unusual in a city where many landmark churches are more visibly Renaissance or Baroque.
Basilica di San Pietro di Castello
The Basilica di San Pietro di Castello is a historic church in Venice, located on the eastern end of the main island group in the Castello sestiere.
San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane
San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, known in English as Saint Charles at the Four Fountains, is a Baroque church in Rome designed by Francesco Borromini.
Basilica di Santa Trinita
Basilica di Santa Trinita is a Roman Catholic church in central Florence, near the Arno River and Ponte Santa Trinita. The basilica belongs to the Vallumbrosan Order and combines an important religious function with Gothic architecture and major Florentine art.
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.