Part of the fourth-century Villa of Maxentius complex along the Via Appia Antica in the Roman countryside, the Circus of Maxentius (Circo di Massenzio) is a well-preserved chariot racetrack in Rome, second in size only to the Circus Maximus. Today, the archaeological site is located within the Appian Way Regional Park, approximately 30 minutes from Rome, with its ruins open to exploration.
Naples’ Capodimonte Museum (Museo di Capodimonte) contains masterpieces from the Neapolitan and other Italian schools, as well as furniture and decorative arts, and ancient Roman sculptures. With works by Raphael, Titian, and Caravaggio, this museum is a must for art lovers and a popular stop on many private and group tours.
For a unique window into Palermo’s cultural traditions, catch a performance of the historic Sicilian Puppet Theatre (Opera Dei Pupi, a theater so singular that it is recognized by UNESCO for Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage. At the International Marionette Museum (Museo Internazionale delle Marionette you can see finely-made, historic puppets and enjoy a show.
The sprawling port city of Genoa (Genova) is made up of a number of distinct neighborhoods, each with its own history and identity. One of these is Boccadasse, set on the waterfront to the east of the city center. Once a tiny fishing village, it is now a delightfully colorful and quaint quarter to explore on foot.
With its multi-colored marble facade and striking round windows, the small yet beautiful Church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli (Chiesa di Santa Maria dei Miracoli) is one of the most important examples of early Renaissance architecture in Venice. Built in the late 15th century to honor a miraculous image of the Virgin Mary, it showcases the spectacular work of architect Pietro Lombardo. It’s also considered a highlight of the historic Cannaregio neighborhood.
Italy has a host of hot springs, many used as natural thermal baths since ancient Roman times. Among these historic spa destinations is the town of Abano Terme, the largest hot spring resort in Europe. Take a relaxing day trip from Venice to visit Abano Terme, set in the Euganean Hills with natural thermal waters as hot as 176°F (80°C).
Underneath the Basilica of Santi Giovanni e Paolo in the center of Rome lies a subterranean network of living spaces built between the second and fourth centuries, before and during the rise of Christianity. Decorated with a mix of pagan and religious frescoes, these 20 rooms offer an intimate glimpse into the daily lives of regular folks in ancient Rome.
The Lipica Stud Farm has bred Slovenia’s famed Lipizzaner (or Lipizzan) horses amid scenic forest and pasture for over 400 years—it’s the world’s oldest and biggest Lipizzaner stud farm. Today, the farm also hosts visitors for tours, performances, and training sessions, as well as horse-drawn carriage tours of the grounds.
Via Po is one of the most important and stately thoroughfares in the center of Turin, running in a wide, straight line from Piazza Castello to Piazza Vittorio Veneto. Its soaring pedestrian porticoes along both sides adorn some of the city’s most elegant boutiques, prestigious book shops, and historic cafés.
Long connected to monastic orders and once home to a leper colony, the tiny, diamond-shaped island of San Lazzaro degli Armeni is most famous for its Armenian Catholic monastery. Home to monks of the Mekhitarist Order, San Lazzaro is a center for Armenian culture and boasts one of the world’s largest collections of Armenian manuscripts. Around the monastery, rose gardens offer views of the nearby Lido island.
One of Rome’s famed seven hills, Caelian Hill (Celio) was a wealthy residential district under the Roman Republic. Today, it is home to the ancient Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo and the Basilica of St. Stephen in the Round (Basilica di Santo Stefano Rotondo), as well as Villa Celimontana, one of Rome’s nicest parks, and a wealth of medieval and Roman remains. The Colosseum views are spectacular.
The Como-Brunate Funicular offers an easy escape from Como’s lakeside crowds. Shuttling you high to Brunate in mere minutes, the funicular doesn’t lend itself to views on the ride up. However, some of the best—and lesser-seen—Lake Como views await at the top. Let your gaze sweep over the mountain-framed lake from traditional restaurants, stroll cobbled streets to the Voltiano Lighthouse, or use Brunate as a starting point for hikes around the Larian Triangle Ridge.
The oldest known pharmacy in the world, the Pharmacy of Santa Maria Novella, is hidden just around the corner from Florence’s Basilica of Santa Maria Novella. Dominican friars established the apothecary in 1221, and it continues to use traditional techniques to produce soaps, cosmetics, and fragrances—including a perfume created for Catherine de’ Medici. Come to shop for Florentine souvenirs, and stay to see the boutique-museum's frescoed ceilings and original apothecary equipment.
10 Corso Como is one of Milan's trendiest addresses. Home to the Galleria Carla Sozzani art gallery, it also houses an ultra popular café, a fashion boutique, a roof garden, a restaurant, and a tiny hotel. If you want to see and be seen in Italy’s capital of chic, there is no better place.
The Italian island of Sardinia (Sardegna) is known for its stunning natural beauty, including a pristine coastline and tiny offshore islets. In 1997 one of these, the island of Asinara, became Asinara National Park (Parco Nazionale dell'Asinara)—a nature reserve that is home to wild animals, historic ruins, hiking trails, and idyllic beaches.
Along Venice’s Grand Canal, the Ca' d'Oro—or House of Gold, named for the gold-leaf decorations that once adorned its exterior—is sure to catch your eye. Also known as Palazzo Santa Sofia, this 15th-century masterpiece has one of the city’s finest Venetian Gothic facades, with multicolored marble friezes that reflect brilliantly against the water. Inside is the lavish art collection of previous owner Giorgio Franchetti, who donated the palace to the state.
St. Paul’s Within the Walls Church (Chiesa di San Paolo Entro le Mura) was the first Protestant church built in Rome, considered the capital of the Catholic world. This 19th-century Episcopal church is home to beautiful and relatively modern mosaics that earned it recognition as a national monument. Today, it is not only a religious and cultural center, but also a performance venue that regularly hosts concerts of classical music and opera.
The Aquarium of Genoa is not only the largest aquarium in Italy, but also the most extensive exhibition of marine biodiversity in Europe. Situated in Genoa’s Old Port, more than 70 different tanks hold 1.6 million gallons of water and 12,000 animals. Visitors can see sharks, dolphins, manatees, penguins, seals, jellyfish, and much more.
Overlooking the Grand Canal, Ca’ Rezzonico is one of Venice’s most stunning palaces, offering a glimpse into the city’s Golden Age. An outstanding example of 18th-century Venetian baroque and rococo architecture and decor, the palace dazzles with Murano-glass chandeliers, gilded furniture, and rich silk tapestries. There are also paintings by renowned Venetian masters, including Francesco Guardi, and opulent interiors.
The striking St. Zeno Maggiore Church (Basilica di San Zeno Maggiore) is just as famous for its pink-and-white pastel color scheme as it is for hosting the marriage scene in Shakespeare’sRomeo and Juliet. A lasting example of Romanesque architecture, the building—parts of it, at least—dates back to the 9th century AD.
Shutterbugs and romantics flock to the Pincio Gardens, known for its panoramic terrace over Piazza del Popolo with views over Rome’s rooftops to St. Peter’s Basilica. These pretty gardens atop the Pincian Hill date back to ancient Rome, when the estate of the Pinci family covered the area. Reworked in the 19th century by Giuseppe Valadier, the Pincio Gardens are lush with greenery that surrounds busts of illustrious Italians, an obelisk, and a historic water clock.
Italians are known for their sense of fashion but they don’t always pay retail prices for their designer duds. Outlet shopping is a popular pastime in Italy, and Neapolitans and tourists alike head to La Reggia Designer Outlet just outside the city to purchase the latest styles by labels like Armani and Prada at a deep discount.
Turin’s oldest public park, theValentine Park (Parco del Valentino) is also one of the city’s prettiest green spaces. Measuring nearly 125 acres (50.5 hectares), the landmark made its debut in 1852 and hugs the River Po. In addition to prime picnicking turf, the park also contains attractions ranging from a replica medieval village to the grand Castello del Valentino.
Just outside Ragusa in southeastern Sicily, the beautiful 14th-century Donnafugata Castle (Castello di Donnafugata) is one of the island’s most sumptuous treasures. Like many historic buildings in Sicily, the castle is a unique patchwork of architectural and artistic styles, including a Venetian Gothic facade and baroque interior.
Villa Pisani is considered the queen of the magnificent villas built between the 16th and 18th centuries by wealthy Venetians along the Brenta Riviera, and its original 114 rooms were an homage to its owner, the 114th Doge of Venice. Take a day trip from Venice to admire the sumptuous architecture and vast gardens.
Home to a towering waterfall, ancient ruins, and thick woods dotted with caves and crisscrossed by scenic trails, the Villa Gregoriana Park (Parco Villa Gregoriana) is an idyllic retreat just outside Rome. Located in Tivoli, this Italian National Heritage Trust gem—along with nearby Villa d’Este—is an ideal day trip from the capital city.
Dominating Turin’s majestic Piazza Carignano, the ornate brick Palazzo Carignano is one of the city’s most important baroque palaces, and its main facade is Italy’s only example of the use of the undulating concave–convex–concave shape created by architect Francesco Borromini for a civic, rather than religious, building.
Perched above the Roman Forum, Domus Augustana was the private residence of several Roman emperors within the vast palace complex on Palatine Hill. Often overlooked among the ruins of the Palatine, the nearly 2,000-year-old Domus Augustana and its tattered frescoes offer a glimpse into how emperors and high society lived—they placed themselves above it all.
The Triton Fountain (Fontana del Tritone) is not on the scale of Rome’s most famous water feature, the Trevi Fountain, but it’s well worth a visit. Located in bustling Piazza Barberini, Fontana del Tritone was commissioned by Pope Urban VIII and carved by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, whose baroque sculptures also appear in St. Peter’s Basilica. It features a statue of Triton perched atop a shell and four dolphins.
Rome was famously built around seven hills—and on one of those, you’ll find the Oppian Hill Park (Parco del Colle Oppio). Overlooking the Colosseum, this storied park is more than just a way to access Rome’s most famous attraction: Nero chose this spot to build part of his massive Domus Aurea palace, and the baths of Trajan and Titus were also located here. Today, this pretty park offers walking paths, fountains, and hilltop views of ancient ruins.
