Where to begin
These are the places worth planning a trip around: the museums, cathedrals and palaces, the ancient sites and the landscapes that make Italy what it is, from the Uffizi and the Colosseum to the Dolomites and the temples of Agrigento. Each has its own guide, with the story behind it, what to look for once inside, how to plan the visit and the tours worth booking. Begin with the best known, or choose a region.
391 monuments
Castello di Roccascalegna
RoccascalegnaCliffside silhouette, 12th-16th century fortress, feudal legend, Sangro valley views
Fumane Cave
FumaneOldest painted cave art in Europe, active excavation since 1988, ochre animal figures, PaleoCenter
Funtana Coberta
BaruminiFrom the little paved forecourt at Funtana Coberta, the doorway looks barely large enough to hint at the building behind it.
Piazza del Popolo of Ascoli
Ascoli PicenoRead the square before crossing it Start under the porticoes and look across rather than heading straight into the open.
Roman Theatre of Volterra
VolterraFrom the upper viewpoint at Vallebuona, start with the sweep of the seats.
Termoli Cathedral
TermoliTermoli's cathedral crowns the small walled promontory of the old town, and it looks across the Adriatic in the manner of the great Apulian churches.
Tunnels of Claudius
L'AquilaClaudius's six-kilometer emissary, Lake Fucino drainage, Monte Salviano shafts, guided underground walk
Villa Cimbrone
RavelloAt the entrance to Villa Cimbrone, the garden gives you a long straight line to follow.
Villa Melzi Gardens
BellagioStart on the Bellagio side and watch the shoreline change as you enter the gardens.
Wine Museum of Torgiano
TorgianoIn Palazzo Graziani-Baglioni, the Wine Museum of Torgiano begins with the things people made to carry, pour and drink wine.
Lombard Temple
Cividale del FriuliIn the small oratory of Santa Maria in Valle, the wall above the entrance rewards a second look.
Sass Pordoi
CanazeiFrom Passo Pordoi the cable car rises beside pale rock walls to a terrace just below 3,000 metres.
Aymavilles Castle
AymavillesFour round corner towers, 18th-century residence, attic timber roof, Cogne valley gateway
Boccadasse
GenoaAt the end of Corso Italia, Boccadasse brings Genoa down to the scale of a fishing cove.
Capo Testa
Santa Teresa GalluraAt Capo Testa, begin with the view towards the Strait of Bonifacio.
Castello di Lombardia
EnnaThe eastern tip of Enna Follow Via Roma to the high eastern end of Enna.
Cervara Abbey
Santa Margherita LigureA short uphill lane above the coast between Santa Margherita Ligure and Paraggi leads to La Cervara.
Cosenza Cathedral
CosenzaConsecrated before Frederick II, Isabella of Aragon’s tomb, Madonna del Pilerio icon, UNESCO peace culture
Faraglioni
CapriWalk from the Piazzetta along Via Camerelle and Via Tragara to the belvedere.
Galleria d'Arte Moderna Ricci Oddi
PiacenzaStart with the woman’s face in Gustav Klimt’s Portrait of a Lady.
Gerace Cathedral
GeraceLargest church in Calabria, reused Locri columns, crypt, diocesan treasury, medieval hill town
Hypogeum of the Volumnii
PerugiaBelow the hillside at Ponte San Giovanni, the tomb of the Velimna family opens into a room with what looks like a pitched timber roof.
Juliet's House
Verona
Masino Castle
IvreaThe ridge at Masino gives the castle a long view over the Canavese.
