Italy attractions

The city’s small, free Gladiator Museum, tucked below a gift shop on Piazza Navona, illuminates the world of Rome’s ancient gladiators through a showcase of warrior weapons and armor. Information panels guide you through a century-spanning journey that spans from the seventh century BC to the fourth century AD, with plenty of swords, helmets, armor, and other accoutrements along the way.

Considered one of the most beautiful private gardens in Europe, La Mortella Botanic Gardens is a highlight of the island of Ischia, and a must-see for garden enthusiasts. Stroll through the valley garden, hill garden, and conservatory to admire the collection of lush plants and flowers, or attend a concert at the gardens’ Greek Theater.

Housed in the 17th-century palace that was once the Pezzoli family residence, this house-museum contains one of Milan's most prestigious collections. It’s a treasure trove of paintings by Botticelli, Bellini, and Mantegna, as well as decorative art, armor, and ancient artifacts accrued by Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli in the 19th century.

The Bagatti Valsecchi Museum (Museo Bagatti Valsecchi) in Milan is a showcase of what Italian mansions (palazzi) were like back in the day. Once home to two brothers—Fausto and Giuseppe—the stunning palazzo displays their vast collection of antique paintings, ceramics, tapestries, ivory, and furniture that they acquired during the last part of the 19th century.

Piazza del Mercato has been one of the most important public marketplaces in Naples since ancient Rome. Though the square suffered heavy bombardment during World War II and is now ringed with rather dismal postwar buildings, the vibrant soul of Naples lives on in the bustling street market in the square’s center.

The 15th-century Palazzo dei Diamanti (Diamond Palace) is one of the top places for art in the Renaissance city of Ferrara, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The palace is home to two of Ferrara’s most important art museums and holds temporary art shows throughout the year.

An ode to Venice’s rich classical musical heritage, the small but comprehensive Music Museum (Museo della Musica) is one of the city’s little-known gems. The exhibit inside the historic San Maurizio Church explores three centuries of violin making and showcases an impressive array of Italian stringed instruments, with highlights including a 19th-century lyre and an exquisite mandolin inlaid with mother-of-pearl.

Long before Saint Francis was born in Assisi, ancient Romans inhabited Asisium, as the town was known for millennia. A striking testimony to these Roman roots is the handsome Temple of Minerva, which has the most intact Roman temple facade in Italy and is a must for Roman architecture enthusiasts.

Running between Vatican City and the River Tiber, Via Cola di Rienzo is the main artery of the upscale Prati neighborhood, known for its broad streets, stylish boutiques, and relaxed atmosphere. It’s one of Rome’s best shopping destinations, offering a refreshing alternative to the crowded chaos of Via del Corso. Here, you’ll find an appealing mix of high-end fashion houses, well-known international brands, and popular Italian retailers, all housed in beautifully preserved 19th-century buildings.

Located in the Villa Borghese park, Rome’s answer to London’s Globe Theatre is built in the round, as was the style of 16th-century Elizabethan London. The playhouse puts on a program of works by William Shakespeare in Italian and English from June through October, and is a unique way to experience the Bard in Rome.

Sculpted in 1545 by Benvenuto Cellini, Perseus with the Head of Medusa is one of the main attractions in the Loggia dei Lanzi—the Uffizi Galleries’ (Gallerie degli Uffizi) open-air sculpture gallery. The bronze statue, which depicts the Greek hero Perseus defeating the monster Medusa, is considered to be a great masterpiece of Italian Mannerism.

Among the most striking buildings on Turin’s Piazza Castello, Palazzo Madama is half fortified medieval castle and half sumptuous baroque palace. The building now houses the city’s Civic Museum of Ancient Art (Museo Civico di Arte Antica), with a sprawling collection spanning from the Roman era to the 18th century.

The Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista was founded in the 13th century as a lay brotherhood, meaning a group of non-clergymen within the Catholic Church. Over the centuries, their headquarters expanded to reflect the architectural styles of the age, from Gothic to Renaissance and baroque. The religious complex is still the seat of the Scuola Grande and opens to visitors on select days.

One of the most popular repositories of masterpieces in Italy, the Accademia Carrara is home to medieval and Renaissance canvases by Raphael, Botticelli, Titian, Canaletto, and Mantegna. A highlight of Bergamo, the gallery is a must for art aficionados visiting this northern Italian city.

Home to the Museo di Arte Contemporanea (Museum of Contemporary Art) since 1984, this restored royal Savoy residence outside Turin is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tour the sumptuous castle interiors, visit contemporary exhibitions, and view the remarkable Cerruti Collection of art spanning seven centuries, set to be unveiled in 2019.

Tucked away next to the Roman Forum, this beautiful church is dedicated to Saint Frances of Rome, the patron saint of drivers; the 15th-century figure was often depicted with an angel lighting her way at night. The relics of the saint are held in the church crypt. Also worth admiring are the basilica’s richly detailed coffered ceilings, the mosaics across its altar, and a rare 5th-century icon of the Virgin Mary.

Locals and visitors alike enjoy strolling along Livorno’s Terrazza Mascagni, a scenic promenade with sweeping views over the Mediterranean, an elegant balustrade, black-and-white checkerboard pavement, park, and bandstand. No visit to the city is complete without a turn along this striking stretch of seafront.

This UNESCO-listed Carthusian monastery, or charterhouse, just outside the town of Padula is a massive complex of more than 300 rooms and halls. Built in the early 1400s, the charterhouse is a highlight of the Cilento National Park, and a tour of its sweeping central courtyard, frescoed chapels, and wood-paneled library is a must.

Lecce’s sumptuous 17th-century baroque architecture immediately catches the eye, but the city has a history that stretches as far back as the Greek empire. Trace its evolution through the millennia at the Museo Faggiano, a private residence now home to an eclectic archaeological museum with excavated artifacts and ruins.

Located in Palermo’s historic Kalsa Quarter, the Mirto Palace House Museum, known locally as Palazzo Mirto, is one of the city’s only intact noble palaces that is open to the public. The lavish interiors are a time capsule of Sicilian aristocratic life in the 18th and 19th centuries, decorated with furniture and art originally owned by the palace’s Lanza Filangieri family.

Part of Siena’s magnificent duomo complex, the Piccolomini Library (Libreria Piccolomini) delights art enthusiasts with frescoes by Pinturicchio and his school, which included the young Raffaello. Take in the pieces' vivid colors, complex composition, and use of perspective, and revel in masterpieces that are among the most important works of art in Siena.

Adjacent to Siena’s magnificent cathedral, the Siena Cathedral Museum (Museo dell’Opera Metropolitana or Museo dell’Opera del Duomo) is one of the most important museums in this Tuscan city. The collection includes artworks and architectural details from the Duomo complex, including masterpieces by the greatest artists of the Sienese school.

Set on a hilltop overlooking the Castello district, Genoa’s Basilica of Santa Maria di Castello (Basilica di Santa Maria di Castello) is one of the most important churches in this bustling port city. Part of a larger religious complex including a convent and museum, the Romanesque basilica is home to important works by many of Genoa’s best known artists.

Considered one of the prettiest hill towns the region, Gravina di Puglia is home to a historic duomo, aqueduct, and castle, but its most remarkable treasures are hidden deep underground. Head below the town to tour the rupestrian churches, cave dwellings, and ancient tunnels dug out of its soft tufa stone.

Step into the world of Nobel Prize winner and radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi at the fascinating Guglielmo Marconi Museum just outside Bologna. Housed in the imposing Villa Griffone, Marconi’s former home and the site of many of his scientific experiments and discoveries, the museum is devoted to the inventor’s life and works.

This religious complex, known as the Santuario della Madonna di Montenero, is one of the most visited sanctuaries in the Livorno hills. Take in its peaceful chapel, caves used as a hideout for thieves over the centuries and as a shelter during World War II, and an impressive collection of 700 historic ex-votos.

Legends swirl around the Basilica of Santa Maria in Via Lata, the most enduring of which is that Rome imprisoned St. Paul in its underground crypt while he was awaiting trial. However, this 7th-century church in the heart of Rome is rich in art as well as history. Acclaimed Italian architects designed its bell tower and loggia, while interior highlights include a Cosmatesque-style floor, crypt frescoes, and the high altar’s icon of the Madonna Advocata.

The majestic gardens at the Garzoni Villa, in the town of Collodi, are considered some of the most beautiful in Italy. Their design blends Renaissance geometry with baroque elegance, and highlights include water features, lush flower beds, a hedge maze, and a butterfly pavilion.

Set in Perugia’s gothic Palazzo dei Priori, the 15th-century Nobile Collegio del Cambio was once the seat of Perugia’s exchange guild, the most powerful in the city during the Middle Ages. The Collegio’s three magnificent halls are lavishly decorated with frescoes by Perugino and others, a testament to the guild’s wealth and influence.

An easy day trip from Florence, is this lovely haven for skiing, mountain biking, and hiking tucked in the forested mountains of Tuscany. A popular resort town since the early 1990s, Abetone has something to offer sports-lovers all levels technical prowess all year-long.