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
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.
Villa Doria Pamphilj
Villa Doria Pamphili is a historic villa and extensive public park in Rome, Italy. It is among the largest landscaped public parks in the city, situated on the Gianicolo hill.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Villa Borghese
Villa Borghese is a large public park in central Rome, Italy. It covers substantial ground on the Pincian Hill and surrounding area, making it one of the city's most significant green spaces.
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.
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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