Top 100 places to visit in Italy
100 must-see places and attractions in Italy, from famous landmarks to hidden gems, each with a map and photos.
Food of Italy →Restaurants in Italy →Hotels in Italy →Spas in Italy →Golf courses in Italy →Airports in Italy →Trains in Italy →Shops in Italy → Italy culture guide →
100 places
-
1Archaeological site
Colosseum
Flavian amphitheatre completed in AD 80 that hosted gladiatorial games for tens of thousands.
-
2Religious site
Florence Cathedral
Gothic cathedral crowned by Brunelleschi's dome, with Giotto's bell tower and the Baptistery.
-
3Religious site
St Mark's Basilica
Byzantine-inspired basilica famed for its golden mosaics and the Pala d'Oro altarpiece.
-
4Archaeological site
Pompeii
Roman city buried by Vesuvius in AD 79, preserving streets, houses, frescoes and forums.
-
5
-
6Museum & gallery
Uffizi Gallery
Renaissance art collection including Botticelli's Birth of Venus and works by Leonardo.
-
7Landmark
Leaning Tower of Pisa
Tilting marble bell tower in the Piazza dei Miracoli, climbable for views over Pisa.
-
8Archaeological site
Roman Forum
Ruins of temples, basilicas and arches that formed the heart of ancient Rome's public life.
-
9Coast & beach
Amalfi Coast
Cliffside coastline of pastel towns such as Positano, Amalfi and Ravello above the sea.
-
10Lake & river
Grand Canal
Venice's main waterway, lined with palaces and best seen by vaporetto or gondola.
-
11Coast & beach
Cinque Terre
Five colourful fishing villages linked by coastal paths and terraced vineyards.
-
12Museum & gallery
The Last Supper
Leonardo da Vinci's mural in the refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie, seen by timed entry.
-
13Landmark
Trevi Fountain
Baroque fountain of Neptune and tritons where visitors traditionally toss a coin.
-
14Castle & palace
Doge's Palace
Gothic palace of Venice's rulers, with grand council chambers and the Bridge of Sighs.
-
15Religious site
Milan Cathedral
Vast Gothic cathedral with a forest of spires and walkable rooftop terraces.
-
16Museum & gallery
Galleria dell'Accademia
Florentine gallery home to Michelangelo's David and his unfinished Prisoners.
-
17Lake & river
Lake Como
Alpine lake ringed by villas, gardens and villages such as Bellagio and Varenna.
-
18Mountain & viewpoint
Tre Cime di Lavaredo
Three sheer rock towers in the Dolomites, circled by a popular high-level walking loop.
-
19
-
20Old town & city
Sassi di Matera
Ancient cave dwellings carved into a ravine, forming one of Europe's oldest inhabited towns.
-
21Landmark
Ponte Vecchio
Medieval bridge over the Arno lined with jewellers' shops and topped by the Vasari Corridor.
-
22Archaeological site
Valley of the Temples
Well-preserved Greek Doric temples of ancient Akragas, including the Temple of Concordia.
-
23Museum & gallery
Borghese Gallery
Villa gallery showing Bernini sculptures and paintings by Caravaggio, Raphael and Titian.
-
24Old town & city
Siena Historic Centre
Medieval city centred on the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo and its striped cathedral.
-
25Archaeological site
Herculaneum
Roman town buried by Vesuvius, with unusually intact houses, woodwork and mosaics.
-
26Nature & national park
Val d'Orcia
UNESCO-listed Tuscan landscape of rolling hills, cypress avenues and Renaissance villages.
-
27Mountain & viewpoint
Mount Etna
Europe's highest active volcano, with craters and lava fields reached by cable car and 4x4.
-
28Religious site
Basilica of St Francis of Assisi
Two-level basilica over the saint's tomb, with frescoes attributed to Giotto and Cimabue.
-
29
-
30Religious site
Basilica of San Vitale
Sixth-century church with Byzantine mosaics of Emperor Justinian and Empress Theodora.
-
31Old town & city
San Gimignano
Walled Tuscan hill town known for its surviving medieval tower houses.
-
32Castle & palace
Royal Palace of Caserta
Bourbon royal palace with grand state apartments and formal gardens with cascades.
-
33Lake & river
Lake Garda
Italy's largest lake, with lakeside towns, olive groves and mountain backdrops.
-
34
-
35Landmark
Piazza Navona
Baroque square on the site of Domitian's stadium, with Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers.
-
36Castle & palace
Castel Sant'Angelo
Hadrian's mausoleum turned papal fortress, with a museum and terrace views over the Tiber.
-
37Old town & city
Alberobello
Town of trulli, whitewashed limestone houses with conical dry-stone roofs.
-
38Religious site
Scrovegni Chapel
Chapel covered with Giotto's early 14th-century fresco cycle of the lives of Mary and Christ.
-
39Landmark
Rialto Bridge
Stone bridge over the Grand Canal, next to Venice's historic produce and fish markets.
-
40Castle & palace
Pitti Palace
Medici palace housing the Palatine Gallery, royal apartments and modern art collections.
-
41Archaeological site
Taormina Ancient Theatre
Greek-Roman theatre on a clifftop with views of Mount Etna and the Ionian Sea.
-
42Religious site
Monreale Cathedral
Norman cathedral with vast gold mosaics and a cloister of carved paired columns.
-
43Museum & gallery
Capitoline Museums
Museums on the Capitoline Hill with classical sculpture, including the She-Wolf and Marcus Aurelius.
-
44Archaeological site
Palatine Hill
Hill of imperial palace ruins overlooking the Roman Forum and the Circus Maximus.
-
45Park & garden
Villa d'Este
Renaissance villa famed for its terraced gardens of fountains, pools and water features.
-
46Archaeological site
Hadrian's Villa
Sprawling second-century retreat of Emperor Hadrian, with pools, baths and pavilions.
-
47Archaeological site
Paestum
Ancient Greek city with three remarkably preserved Doric temples and a museum of tomb paintings.
-
48Museum & gallery
National Archaeological Museum of Naples
Major collection of Roman art, including mosaics and frescoes from Pompeii and Herculaneum.
-
49Religious site
Palatine Chapel
12th-century royal chapel in Palermo's Norman Palace, lined with Byzantine mosaics.
-
50Old town & city
Ortigia
Island old town of Syracuse with Baroque squares, a cathedral built on a Greek temple and seafront.
-
51Island
Aeolian Islands
Volcanic archipelago including Lipari, Salina, Vulcano and the active Stromboli.
-
52Museum & gallery
Egyptian Museum
Turin's museum holding one of the largest collections of ancient Egyptian artefacts outside Egypt.
-
53Religious site
Orvieto Cathedral
Gothic cathedral with a mosaic facade and Signorelli's Last Judgement frescoes.
-
54Old town & city
Portofino
Small harbour village of colourful houses on the Ligurian coast, set within a nature park.
-
55Island
Borromean Islands
Lake Maggiore islands with Baroque palaces and terraced gardens on Isola Bella and Isola Madre.
-
56Archaeological site
Ostia Antica
Excavated port city of ancient Rome with apartment blocks, a theatre and mosaic floors.
-
57Religious site
Sansevero Chapel
Baroque chapel museum home to the Veiled Christ, a marble sculpture by Giuseppe Sanmartino.
-
58Neighbourhood & street
Spaccanapoli
Long straight street through Naples's historic centre, lined with churches, shops and street food.
-
59Mountain & viewpoint
Mount Vesuvius
Volcano overlooking the Bay of Naples, with a path to the crater rim in a national park.
-
60Old town & city
Lecce Old Town
Historic centre famed for ornate Baroque churches carved from soft local limestone.
-
61Castle & palace
Castel del Monte
Octagonal 13th-century castle built by Emperor Frederick II on a hilltop in Apulia.
-
62Archaeological site
Villa Romana del Casale
Late Roman villa with extensive floor mosaics, including hunting scenes and bikini-clad athletes.
-
63Old town & city
Noto
Town rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake, with a harmonious ensemble of golden Baroque buildings.
-
64Nature & national park
Alpe di Siusi
Europe's largest high-altitude alpine meadow, with walking trails beneath the Sassolungo.
-
65Lake & river
Lake Braies
Emerald mountain lake in the Dolomites, circled by an easy lakeside footpath.
-
66Neighbourhood & street
Trastevere
Characterful Roman district of cobbled lanes, trattorias and the Basilica of Santa Maria.
-
67Archaeological site
Baths of Caracalla
Monumental ruins of third-century public baths, with towering walls and mosaic floors.
-
68Historic site
Appian Way
Ancient Roman road lined with tombs and catacombs, walkable or cyclable through a regional park.
-
69Mountain & viewpoint
Piazzale Michelangelo
Hillside square offering a panoramic view across Florence's rooftops and the Arno.
-
70Religious site
Basilica of Santa Croce
Franciscan church holding the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli.
-
71Museum & gallery
Bargello Museum
Medieval palace housing Renaissance sculpture by Donatello, Michelangelo and Cellini.
-
72Museum & gallery
Peggy Guggenheim Collection
Modern art collection in a Grand Canal palazzo, with works by Picasso, Pollock and Magritte.
-
73Museum & gallery
Gallerie dell'Accademia
Venetian gallery of paintings by Bellini, Titian, Tintoretto and Veronese.
-
74Castle & palace
Ducal Palace of Mantua
Gonzaga palace complex containing Mantegna's frescoed Camera degli Sposi.
-
75Castle & palace
Ducal Palace of Urbino
Renaissance palace of Federico da Montefeltro, now the National Gallery of the Marche.
-
76Old town & city
Bergamo Upper Town
Walled hilltop old town reached by funicular, with Venetian walls and Piazza Vecchia.
-
77Castle & palace
Sforza Castle
Renaissance castle of the Sforza dukes, housing museums including Michelangelo's Rondanini Pietà.
-
78Museum & gallery
Pinacoteca di Brera
Milan's main picture gallery, with works by Mantegna, Raphael and Caravaggio.
-
79Market & shopping
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Glass-roofed 19th-century shopping arcade linking Piazza del Duomo and La Scala.
-
80Historic site
Lucca City Walls
Intact Renaissance ramparts encircling Lucca, topped by a tree-lined walking and cycling path.
-
81Old town & city
Civita di Bagnoregio
Tiny hilltop village on an eroding tuff outcrop, reached by a long pedestrian bridge.
-
82Castle & palace
Miramare Castle
19th-century seafront castle built for Archduke Maximilian, with period rooms and a park.
-
83Nature & national park
Gran Paradiso National Park
Italy's oldest national park, an alpine refuge for ibex, chamois and golden eagles.
-
84Mountain & viewpoint
Skyway Monte Bianco
Rotating cable car rising to Punta Helbronner, with close-up views of Mont Blanc.
-
85Museum & gallery
South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology
Museum dedicated to Ötzi the Iceman, a naturally mummified man over 5,000 years old.
-
86Coast & beach
Neptune's Grotto
Sea cave of stalactites reached by boat or by a long stairway down the Capo Caccia cliffs.
-
87Archaeological site
Su Nuraxi di Barumini
Bronze Age nuraghe fortress and village, the finest example of Sardinia's nuragic culture.
-
88Island
La Maddalena Archipelago
National park of granite islands and clear waters off Sardinia's north-east coast.
-
89Coast & beach
Cala Goloritzé
Cove of white pebbles and a rock pinnacle on the Gulf of Orosei, reached on foot or by boat.
-
90Old town & city
Cefalù
Seaside town beneath a rocky headland, dominated by a Norman cathedral with Byzantine mosaics.
-
91Archaeological site
Segesta
Unfinished Doric temple and hilltop Greek theatre set in open Sicilian countryside.
-
92Historic site
Teatro Olimpico
Palladio's Renaissance indoor theatre with a permanent trompe-l'oeil stage set of streets.
-
93Castle & palace
Royal Palace of Venaria
Savoy hunting residence near Turin, with the Great Gallery and extensive restored gardens.
-
94Nature & national park
Langhe
Piedmont hill country of vineyards and castle villages, home to Barolo and Barbaresco wines.
-
95Nature & national park
Marmore Falls
Tiered man-made waterfall created by the Romans, with flows released on a set schedule.
-
96Castle & palace
Rocca Calascio
Ruined mountaintop fortress in the Gran Sasso range, among the highest castles in Italy.
-
97Nature & national park
Frasassi Caves
Karst cave system with huge chambers of stalactites and stalagmites, visited on guided tours.
-
98Museum & gallery
National Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria
Museum of Magna Graecia finds, displaying the Riace Bronzes, two fifth-century BC Greek warriors.
-
99Coast & beach
Tropea
Clifftop Calabrian town overlooking sandy beaches and the church of Santa Maria dell'Isola.
-
100Neighbourhood & street
Strade Nuove and Palazzi dei Rolli
Genoa's Renaissance and Baroque palace-lined streets, with museums in Palazzo Rosso and Bianco.
No places match those filters.