Italy attractions

Cannaregio is one of Venice’s largest and most populated districts. Best known as the city’s Jewish neighborhood, it’s home to several synagogues, as well as the striking Madonna dell’Orto Church (Chiesa della Madonna dell'Orto), and the Renaissance beauty of Chiesa di Santa Maria dei Miracoli. In addition to admiring historical landmarks, you should come to see the canal-lined Fondamenta della Misericordia, where lively cafés, bars, and restaurants create the perfect atmosphere for bar-hopping and people-watching.

Vibrant Testaccio offers an authentic taste of Italy. This historically working-class neighborhood has evolved into an off-the-beaten-path foodie destination and a nightlife hot spot that is loved by locals and visitors alike. Aficionados of Roman cuisine flock to the bustling Testaccio Market (Mercato Di Testaccio) for dishes such as cacio e pepe and supplì (deep-fried risotto balls).

Spanning the Adige River on the northern edge of the city, Ponte Pietra reflects Verona’s remarkable history. This stone-and-brick footbridge was built by Romans in 100 BC and remained largely intact until several of its arches were blown up during World War II. Today, the reconstructed bridge is one of Verona’s top attractions.

Perched high on a mountaintop south of Rome, the Montecassino Abbey is notable both for its imposing architecture and for its long and turbulent history. One of the most important monastic complexes in Italy, the abbey draws architecture enthusiasts, history buffs, and Christian pilgrims by the thousands each year.

The Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo (Basilica di Santa Maria del Popolo) is the most important church in central Rome’s sweeping Piazza del Popolo. With a 17th-century facade designed by Bernini, chapels by Bramante and Raphael, and museum-quality art by Pinturicchio and Caravaggio, the church is a highlight on any tour of Roman art treasures, architecture, or Catholic sights.

Two life-size stone lions flank the stairway to the Loggia dei Lanzi (also called the Loggia della Signoria), an open-air gallery situated between the north end of the Uffizi Galleries (Gallerie degli Uffizi) and Piazza della Signoria. Though strikingly realistic, the lions are overshadowed by the masterpieces beneath the loggia’s three Gothic arches, including Benvenuto Cellini’s Perseus with the Head of Medusa and Giambologna’s Rape of the Sabine Women.

Peggy Guggenheim was a prolific art collector in the mid-20th century who lived by the motto “Buy a picture a day.” The native New Yorker eventually settled in an 18th-century palazzo in Venice along the Grand Canal. Her namesake museum, housed in her former home, grew from the artworks she amassed, and her ashes are interred in the garden. Today, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection is one of the world’s most acclaimed museums of modern art.

Inaugurated in 1904 and built on the site of the former Rome Jewish Ghetto (Ghetto Ebraico di Roma) overlooking the Tiber River (Fiume Tevere), the Great Synagogue of Rome (Tempio Maggiore di Roma) is a living testament to one of Europe’s oldest Jewish communities. Celebrated for its unique Assyrian-Babylonian architecture and art nouveau interiors, it’s home to the Jewish Museum of Rome (Museo Ebraico di Roma) and remains an important place of worship.

Palazzo Strozzi once was a lavish private residence, belonging to the aristocratic Strozzi family in the 15th century. After a makeover, it opened to the public in 1940 as Florence’s largest exhibition space. Today, the trendy museum and cultural center is still going strong, regularly hosting blockbuster shows and retrospectives from contemporary art world A-listers such as Tracey Emin, Anish Kapoor, and Damien Hirst.

Centuries before Piazza del Duomo became Milan’s main square, medieval Piazza Mercanti was the heart of the city. Marking the center of Milan’s historic center, this charming space is lined by porticoed palaces dating from the Middle Ages and offers a picturesque counterpoint to the rest of the city’s stately majesty.

Campo San Bartolomeo is located in the heart of Venice, smack-dab in the middle of the city’s tourist-filled San Marco district. Known simply as San Bortolo to Venetian locals, the square’s name comes from the church constructed here in the mid-19th century (relatively recently by Italian standards). Café terraces cover much of the campo, while its most famous feature is a bronze statue of Venetian writer Carlo Goldoni.

In the heart of Genoa’s old town, Genoa Cathedral (Cattedrale di San Lorenzo) is the most important church in the city. It’s a soaring Gothic and Romanesque masterpiece in alternating bands of black and white marble, where the magnificent art and architecture serve as reminders of this former maritime republic’s historic wealth and power.

With its beautiful grassy expanses and Renaissance basilica of Santa Maria Novella, Florence’s Piazza di Santa Maria Novella is beloved by Florentines and visitors alike. The centrally located square, lined with historic townhouses, restaurants, and cafés, has been a popular gathering place for 800 years.

Venice’s former Jewish Ghetto (Ghetto di Venezia) is one of the most fascinating and moving corners of the city. Found in the Cannaregio district of the city, it is the oldest Jewish ghetto in Europe; Jews from across Europe settled in this neighborhood for centuries. With Campo del Ghetto Nuovo at its center, the neighborhood is home to several 16th-century synagogues, the Jewish Museum, a small Holocaust memorial, and kosher restaurants and bakeries.

Whether arriving by private boat or public ferry, you’ll likely pass through Capril’s main port, Marina Grande. Once a humble fishing village, today this bustling harbor is home to restaurants and shops, the island’s largest beach, the funicular to Capri town, and buses and taxis to destinations across the island.

The bustling Sorrento Cruise Port (Sorrento Terminal Crociere) is a popular stop for passengers looking to explore Italy's Campania coast. While Sorrento is a charming resort town and destination in its own right, it also serves as a transportation hub and jumping-off point for excursions to the Amalfi Coast, Capri, Pompeii, and other destinations on the Bay of Naples.

The Palatine Chapel inside Palermo’s Royal Palace—once the private chapel of the Norman Kingdom of Sicily—is one of the most breathtaking and important attractions in the city. The chapel seems to glow in a golden light, reflected by the ornate mosaics that cover its interior and are considered among the best in Italy.

Stretching 150 miles (241 kilometers) from Tuscany’s Mt. Falterona to the Ligurian Sea, the Arno River is the best-known river in central Italy after the Tiber. While the river flows through Pisa, it is most often visited in Florence, where it divides the city into two and serves as a meeting point for locals. Florence’s bridges—including the famous Ponte Vecchio, the oldest bridge in the city—are renowned for their Arno views.

One of Rome’s most interesting public parks, the Aqueduct Park (Parco degli Acquedotti) is home to the remains of two ancient aqueducts, Aqua Felix and Aqua Claudia, and the second-century Villa delle Vignacce. Part of Appian Way Regional Park, this 593-acre (240-hectare) expanse, located just outside the city center, is a popular respite from the bustle of downtown Rome—and one of Europe’s largest urban parks.

One of the oldest forums in Rome, the Forum Boarium (Foro Boario) was the site of an ancient cattle market and has a pair of temples dating to the Republic. For all that history, though, it remains one of Rome’s quieter attractions. That makes this a favorite spot among those seeking a taste of Roman heritage without the crowds that form at nearby sites like the Piazza della Bocca della Verità (Mouth of Truth).

A unique sight in Orvieto, the Pozzo di San Patrizio (St. Patrick’s Well) is a remarkable feat of hydraulic engineering dating from the 16th century. Descend the double-helix staircases down almost 200 feet (more than 50 meters), and admire the ingenious design aimed at providing the clifftop city with water in times of siege.

If Florence is the capital of the Italian Renaissance, then the National Museum of Bargello (Museo Nazionale del Bargello) is the capital of Italian Renaissance sculpture. One of five sites that comprise the Bargello Museums, the National Museum of Bargello (often referred to as the Bargello), offers an impressive collection with four Michelangelo works, standout Donatello sculptures, and other masterpieces by household names of the 14th–16th centuries—all displayed in the beautiful Palazzo del Podestà.

Every day, countless crowds marvel at the cathedral, bell tower, and baptistery in Florence’s Piazza del Duomo—without knowing that many of the monuments’ original artworks are housed steps away in the Opera del Duomo Museum (Museo dell'Opera del Duomo). This masterpiece-filled gallery is where you can see Lorenzo Ghiberti’s bronze Gates of Paradise, carved for the Baptistery of St. John, as well as the unfinished Pietà Bandini that Michelangelo intended to cover his own tomb.

With its black-and-white marble checkerboard paving, ornate 17th-century facade of the Chiesa di San Giuseppe, and spectacular view over the Mediterranean Sea, Piazza IX Aprile is Taormina’s loveliest square. Take a break from strolling the main Corso Umberto I thoroughfare to bask in its quintessentially Italian atmosphere.

The red-brick Guinigi Tower (Torre Guinigi) pierces the sky above Lucca’s medieval center, and is particularly notable for its impressive rooftop garden shaded by several ancient holm oaks that date from the early 17th century. Climb the 230 steps inside the tower for views across the historic rooftops of Lucca.

Considered one of the best hidden gems in Venice, the Bovolo Staircase (Scala Contarini del Bovolo) is an intricately designed spiral stairwell that boasts picturesque views over Venetian rooftops and canals. Drawing architecture enthusiasts from around the world, this staircase is part of the Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo, a stunning palace once inhabited by one of the city’s most prominent noble families.

With one of the most magnificent facades in Tuscany, Lucca’s Church of San Michele in Foro is a stellar example of the Pisan Romanesque style and the crown jewel of this pretty town’s medieval center. A tour of this architectural masterpiece is a must for art and architecture enthusiasts while visiting Lucca.

A literal walk through history, the Vasari Corridor (Corridoio Vasariano) was the Medici family’s private passageway through central Florence. Giorgio Vasari designed the elevated, covered walkway over the Arno River in the 16th century, allowing the Grand Dukes to discreetly get from work at the Palazzo Vecchio to their home in the Pitti Palace. You can follow in their footsteps today—and admire the views from the corridor’s windows atop the Ponte Vecchio.

At the heart of Venice’s Dorsoduro district, Campo Santa Margherita is a lively square known for its youthful energy. By day, an outdoor market draws locals and visitors with fresh produce, crafts, and snacks. In the evening, the square’s cafés, bars, and restaurants come alive, making it a hub of Venetian nightlife. Surrounded by historic architecture, it’s the perfect spot to soak up the city’s energy while enjoying its old-world charm.

The heart of Rome’s bohemian Trastevere neighborhood, Piazza di Santa Maria fills by day with young families and tourists dining at sidewalk restaurants and sunbathing on the steps of the square’s central fountain. Come evening, students and revelers flock to the many trendy bars around the piazza—it’s one of Rome’s favorite gathering spots—and the steps of the ornate Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere (Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere).