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.
226 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
Interests
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 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 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.
Basilica di San Paolo fuori le mura
The Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls is one of Rome’s four major papal basilicas.
The Basilica of Saint Mary Major, or Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, is one of Rome’s four major basilicas and the city’s largest Marian church.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Santa Maria della Vittoria is a Roman Catholic titular church and minor basilica in Rome, Italy. The church was begun in 1608 and completed in 1620.
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.
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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