Italy attractions

The Church of San Sisto (Chiesa di San Sisto) is one of the oldest in Pisa, and its simple stone facade is an excellent example of early Pisan-Romanesque architecture. Contrast this modest masterpiece with another of Pisa's attractions, the ornate Gothic Duomo, by taking a guided tour of both.

Once a working-class enclave, the Ticinese neighborhood today is one of the trendiest areas in Milan, known for its hip cafés, restaurants, and boutiques. By day, this urban hot spot is flooded with shoppers browsing the stores on Corso di Porta Ticinese and Via Torino. By night, locals gather here for an evening on the town.

In a city renowned for its impressive ceilings—most famously the Sistine Chapel—Rome’s Church of the Gesù (Chiesa del Gesù) is a standout. The massive 3-dimensional trompe l’oeil ceiling frescoes are so extraordinary that a large mirror has been strategically positioned, so visitors can look up without straining their necks. No less impressive are the tomb of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the man who commissioned this 16th-century church, and the wealth of relics in the church museum.

Overlooking Cortona is one of this lovely Tuscan Hilltown’s many architectural treasures, the Santa Margherita Basilica (Basilica di Santa Margherita). The church, with a history dating to the 13th century, boasts an imposing neo-Gothic façade and lavish interior, and the preserved body of its namesake, St. Margaret, still rests within.

Every year in July and August, the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo square in Siena hosts the raucous Il Palio, a historic bareback horse race between Siena’s 17 contrade (town districts), each of which has its own colors, flags, and emblems. The festivities also encompass religious services, pageants, and banquets, which celebrate this age-old Italian tradition that dates back to the early 17th century.

Dedicated to one of the greatest minds of the Italian Renaissance, the Leonardo da Vinci Museum (Museo Leonardiano di Vinci) is located in the artist’s Tuscan hometown, Vinci. Interactive exhibits detail his many talents and discoveries, from his influential drawings of the human form to his innovative designs for weaponry, clocks, and flying machines. Nearby, you can visit the countryside house where da Vinci, the original Renaissance man, was born in 1452.

Behind its understated Romanesque facade and distinctive rose window, the 13th-century Basilica of San Domenico is teeming with Renaissance treasures, and ranks among Bologna’s most important churches. The elaborate interiors, a paradise for art enthusiasts, house works by Michelangelo, Filippino Lippi, and others.

Florence’s soaring 19th-century Great Synagogue, or Tempio Maggiore, is one of the largest in Italy and the focal point of the local Jewish community. An architectural marvel, the building features Moorish, Byzantine, and Romanesque decorative elements, plus a striking copper-clad dome that dominates the Florentine skyline. Inside, colorful mosaics and frescoes, ornate marble floors, and stained glass windows make this one of the most unique buildings in the city.

Leonardo da Vinci is one of Italy’s most influential figures, and museums dedicated to the artist and engineer are scattered across the country. Among the most impressive is Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci Experience Museum (Museo Leonardo da Vinci Experience), where you can interact with models of Leonardo’s inventions, as well as see meticulous reproductions of his most famous works of art. The museum offers visitors a rare and comprehensive overview of the artist’s work as both an inventor and a painter.

Milan's Museo del Novecento houses an excellent collection of 20th-century art and is one of the top museums in the city. Visit the galleries in Piazza del Duomo to see masterpieces by modern and contemporary artists including Modigliani, Picasso, Kandinsky, Mondrian, and Matisse, as well as special exhibits and concerts.

Lining one side of Milan’s stately Piazza del Duomo, the Palazzo Real (Royal Palace is one of the most spectacular vestiges of the city’s royal history and a highlight of the main square. Today, the building is home to the Palace Museum and the Great Museum of the Duomo of Milan, as well as revolving art exhibitions.

Chugging over the Bernina Pass and climbing to a dizzying 7,392 feet (2,253 meters) above sea level, the cheery red Bernina Express is one of Europe’s most beautiful railway routes. The line runs 75 miles (122 kilometers) between Chur in Switzerland and Tirano in Italy, passing over 196 bridges and through 55 tunnels to connect Central and Southern Europe, offering dramatic mountain views along the way.

One of Italy’s most famous composers, Giacomo Puccini, was born in Lucca, and his childhood home has been converted into a museum dedicated to his life and work. Music lovers enjoy perusing the collection of photographs, librettos, awards, correspondence, and costumes displayed among the home’s original furnishings.

The Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini is an offbeat and somewhat macabre attraction in Rome best known for its unusual Capuchin crypt. Five chapels inside the church are lined with important Italian works of art, while the attached convent houses a museum on the Capuchin Order. But the main draw is the crypt, decorated with the bones of more than 4,000 friars arranged in elaborate patterns on the walls and ceilings.

Pull yourself away from Mantua’s elegant Piazza delle Erbe to visit another Renaissance gem, this one just outside the city center: Palazzo Te. Built in the 16th century as a retreat for Duke Federico II Gonzaga, this lavish palace and garden are testimony to the wealth and power the Gonzaga dynasty wielded for almost four centuries.

When the 16th-century Palazzo Valentini underwent a major renovation in 2005, the remains of two ancient Roman villas, thermal baths, and a public building—likely a temple—were discovered underneath the palace. Because the site was buried for centuries, the Domus Romane di Palazzo Valentini is remarkably well-preserved today. Marvel at original staircases, frescoes, mosaics, and inlaid marble floors with a multimedia tour.

A walk through Milan’s Fashion Quarter is a great way to see the city’s highest high fashion. Along with Via Montenapoleone and Via della Spiga, Via Manzoni (officially Via Alessandro Manzoni) is one of the best drags for window-shopping the latest and greatest haute couture. Though unlike the other two streets, Via Manzoni permits vehicles and leads to the famous Teatro alla Scala.

Madonna delle Virtù in the heart of the UNESCO–listed Sassi di Matera is one of the most important rupestrian churches in this European Capital of Culture, a warren of caverns dug from the cliff in the 12th century and subsequently frescoed. With its Romanesque interiors and cupolas, this architectural treasure is a highlight of the city.

Italy often shakes, rattles, and rolls with seismic activity from volcanoes and earthquakes. This geothermal energy has formed countless hot springs, many used as natural thermal spas since ancient Roman times. One of the most famous is the Garda Thermal Park (Parco Termale del Garda), part of the 18th-century Villa dei Cedri estate near Lake Garda.

Considered one of Italy’s most exquisite public gardens, Villa Bellini has a vast expanse of greenery laced with scenic walkways and dotted with pavilions, flower gardens, and hilltop viewpoints over Catania and Mount Etna. Located at the top of bustling Via Etnea, this public garden is a serene respite from the urban chaos and a city highlight.

For centuries, aristocratic families lived in Palazzo Altemps, a lavish mansion whose oldest section dates back to the 15th century. They collected art and rare artifacts, including marble statues from ancient Rome. Many were sold to world-renowned museums, such as the Louvre and the British Museum. But some are still on display within the Palazzo Altemps, now a museum prized for its sculpture collection. Visitors can also see artifacts from Egypt, ancient Roman pottery, and other treasures.

One of Milan’s highest and most unique scenic overlooks, the Torre Branca is a 300-foot-high (91-meter-high) steel tower designed by Gio Ponti in 1933 and set in the city’s Sempione Park. Take the elevator that whisks visitors to the observation deck at the top, and enjoy a bird’s-eye view over the city to the Alpine peaks on the horizon.

One of the oldest churches in Rome, the Basilica di San Lorenzo in Lucina has a simple porticoed facade that almost gets lost amid the tony boutiques and bustling cafés that crowd its eponymous square. A minor attraction among Rome’s ranks of famous churches, cathedrals, and basilicas, the Basilica di San Lorenzo in Lucina is often overlooked by visitors.

Ringed by neoclassical buildings, flanked by busy roads, and crowned with a statue that commemorates the workers who built the trans-Alpine Fréjus Rail Tunnel, the Piazza Statuto is one of Turin’s most prominent public squares. Completed in 1865, it was built while Turin was the newly formed Kingdom of Italy’s first capital city.

One of Europe’s largest Benedictine monasteries and a UNESCO World Heritage site, Catania’s Benedictine Monastery of San Nicolò l'Arena (Monastero Benedettini di San Nicolò l'Arena), is among the city’s top attractions. The stunning monastery was founded in 1558 but almost completely rebuilt in the baroque style following an earthquake in the 18th century.

Rome may be home to the Vatican, but not everyone who lives (or dies) in the Eternal City is Catholic. One of the city’s loveliest cemeteries is dedicated to Protestants and non-Catholics, both Italian and foreign, and is home to a number of important tombs, including those of English poets Keats and Shelley. The Protestant Cemetery of Rome sits behind high walls in Testaccio, creating a rare quiet space near the city center.

In a country as storied as Italy, it comes as no surprise that there are important historic sites buried beneath its modern metropolises. Almost every major Italian city has hidden underground attractions; Turin’s is the Pietro Micca Museum (Museo Pietro Micca), with a network of tunnels that ultimately saved the city from the French in 1706.

Note: The museum is temporarily closed to the public. After visiting Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper in Santa Maria delle Grazie, discover another side of the artist at the pretty vineyard he was granted by patron Ludovico Sforza, located just across the street. Reopened in 2015, this small plot was where Leonardo would relax while working on his iconic fresco.

Puglia’s modern inland city of Foggia is a popular day trip from Bari and convenient base for exploring nearby Lucera, Troia, and the Gargano peninsula on the Adriatic Sea. Top attractions include the 12th-century Cattedrale della Santa Maria Icona Vetere, the archaeological collection in the Civic Museum, and Villa Comunale park.

Located within the Roman Forum (Foro Romano), the Temple of Caesar (Tempio di Cesare) was built to honor the murdered Roman leader Julius Caesar following his deification. Today, it is one of the most historically significant ruins in the vast archaeological site, marking where Caesar was cremated. Not much of the building has survived to the modern day, but you can still see a curved section of stone walls that once made up the temple’s altar.